Oh Starry Night
by Sailor Elf
Summary: A visit to a new planet results in a life-or-death situation against a deadly foe.
1. The Introduction

Disclaimer – No one from Voyager is mine. Ekaterina is mine though among any others.

Summary – A visit to a new planet results in a life-or-death situation against a deadly foe.

00000

Oh Starry Night

Ensign Harry Kim intently stared at the PADD as he ambled down the corridor. He stifled a yawn as he soon stepped up to the door of the ready room. He wondered what the captain wanted that required his presence as the door carefully opened. Kim was soon greeted by the other members of the senior staff. Captain Janeway was standing several feet from the table, her back to everyone.

"Good evening Ensign Kim," the captain said, turning around. "Now that we're all here, I can tell you something very important."

Harry took his place at the table, taking a deep sigh. He glanced over at Tom, who managed to steal a look himself.

"As you know, we've had some problems procuring much needed supplies," Janeway started.

"Our dilithium and certain medical supplies are getting low among other things," B'Elanna interjected.

Janeway gave a sigh, giving a slight nod before returning her stare back to the others. She knew the group was anxious with what she had to say.

"Well, Lieutenant Torres and I managed to make contact with a planet that is more than willing to trade with us. They also tell us they have a pretty hospitable planet and have agreed to let us to stay there for a few days to rest and explore the city," Janeway told them, a grin written on her face.

"That's fantastic! So when do we get there?" Tom piped up.

Janeway stole a glance with Torres, who couldn't help but smile herself. It was the half-klingon who decided to speak up first.

"It's very soon, Tom. We had heard about these people a little while back but couldn't get a hold of them until recently. Their home planet is about 75 light years from here," B'Elanna explained.

"So why hold the meeting? I don't seem to understand the importance if we're simply going to trade," Harry wondered.

"Because I heard about this species at the same time as Lieutenant Torres did and we were told not to bother with them for they don't associate well with others. We wanted to give you the heads up if that was the case," Janeway replied.

Neelix appeared to be deep in thought, remaining silent throughout the entire conversation so far. He almost looked worried as he glanced up at the captain, hoping that it wasn't _them_.

"Captain, who are these people you made contact with?" he finally asked.

"They called themselves the…" the captain replied, stealing a confirming look with B'Elanna. "…Rysarians. Why do you ask Neelix?"

The Talaxian managed to swallow a gulp and his fear once he heard the name. He took a deep sigh before he managed to find himself able to answer.

"It's nothing, Captain. Absolutely nothing," he quickly answered.

"Neelix, if there's something about these people that we should be aware of…" Janeway started.

The Talaxian stared at the rest of the crew. Tuvok raised an eyebrow while Tom and Harry leaned in on the table, intent on listening. B'Elanna reclined in her chair, a smirk on her face while Chakotay placed his chin in his palm, an elbow on the table. The Doctor remained quiet, waiting to hear what the Talaxian had to say. Seven of Nine, as knowledgeable as she was on various races, remained completely silent. Neelix finally gave a deep sigh, before deciding to speak again.

"I am going to regret this later," he muttered. "Captain, I should warn you about Rysaria and its inhabitants."

"Warn us? Why? You make them sound like they're an evil species," Janeway wondered.

Neelix thought about what he was going to say next, how he should explain his feelings to the subject.

"Captain, there have been many stories about the Rysarians. Stories that would make your skin crawl. There have been tales where people went to trade with Rysaria, never to be seen or heard from again. If you feel you must trade with them, be extremely careful for I've even heard of a creature unlike anything else you have ever imagined. I have yet to hear of someone who's actually seen it up close and live to tell about it. The stories among the space-faring species have said it's monstrous," Neelix explained.

A mild look of disbelief crossed the captain's face. Giggles managed to erupt from Harry Kim, Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres while the others remained silent.

"Next thing you're going to tell us Neelix, that the boogeyman resides down the hall from Tom or me," laughed Harry.

Neelix was not impressed with the crew's reaction, but at the back of his mind he knew it was to be expected. He never expected them to believe tales such as these.

"Neelix, this appears to be nothing more than a fairy tale. They didn't sound like anyone who wanted to keep people away. In fact, they were more than eager to meet with us. We also need those supplies. If you feel you must talk to me about this further, we'll discuss it later. Dismissed," Janeway replied.

The crew climbed out of their seats and milled out of the room. Neelix remained, staring at the captain for what seemed the longest time. He gave a deep sigh before managing to climb to his feet as well, leaving Janeway behind in an empty room.

00000

Harry and Tom made their way down the hallway, the laughs still emitting from the mouths over what Neelix had told them.

"Can you imagine a creature like that, Tom? It can't seem real. I mean, there have been tales of monsters on Earth for centuries without any definite proof," Harry wondered.

"Who knows Harry? If what Neelix is saying is true, we'll have a hell of a time when we get there," Tom said with a smile.

They continued to walk down the hallway, unaware they had an observer. Seven of Nine carefully watched their every step before heading back down the hallway. She came across a mildly distraught Neelix coming out of the room.

"Neelix, I have a request," she told him.

"Maybe later, I'm not in the mood to do any favours," Neelix replied.

"This is important for it is about the Rysarians. I need you to tell me all that you know about them," she explained.

"I don't understand Seven, why do you need me to tell you about the Rysarians? Wouldn't the Borg already know everything about them?" he wondered.

Seven took a small sigh, staring at the Talaxian, a bit unsure how to tell him.

"The Borg does not know anything about this species. In fact, they have no idea where to even find them," she replied.

Neelix's eyes opened wide, his jaw almost dropping to the floor. He slowly nodded his head before they headed down the hallway.

TBC…


	2. First Contact

"Why doesn't the Borg know anything about Rysaria? I would've thought for sure at least a few would have been assimilated by now," Neelix wondered.

"It is a bit…embarrassing…to admit but the Rysarians have managed to elude assimilation. They have somehow managed to hide their planet from every sensor possible. I am uncertain how they managed to pull off such a feat for so long," Seven replied.

He nodded before they headed into the mess hall to discuss the matter further.

00000

Captain Kathryn Janeway made her way onto the bridge. She was hoping to learn the progress they were making towards Rysaria.

"We're almost there, Captain," Tom called to her from the helm.

"Good, I'm quite eager to meet these people myself. I certainly hope Neelix is wrong about them," she sighed.

As they drew closer, the familiar beeping of the computer met the lieutenant.

"They're hailing us, Captain," Tom said.

"On screen," came the reply.

A distinguished looking man appeared on the screen. He looked human enough save for the slightly pointed ears and what looked to be a few elaborate tattoos swirling around his necks.

"Ah, Captain Janeway, it is good to finally see you. I am afraid I do not know much about your species. All the records I could find found nothing," the man said.

"Likewise Chancellor Tyrex, but I have the explanation for you. We aren't from around these parts. Don't worry, we get that reaction a lot," Janeway explained as she moved closer to the screen.

Tyrex gave a smile and nodded. He gazed over the people sitting on the bridge before returning his stare to the captain.

"Our sensors have picked up your ship. I'm sending you the coordinates for you and anyone else who would want to come down. We'll be ready to accept your people whenever you're prepared to arrive," he told her.

"We'll be there in a few minutes. Janeway out," she replied before heading for the door. "Tuvok, you have the bridge."

The Vulcan simply watched as she stepped into the turbo lift. He raised an eyebrow, his thoughts going back to what Neelix said back at the meeting.

'_I wonder,'_ he mused.

00000

Janeway headed for the transporter room. Along the way, she met up with Tom and Harry.

"Ready to make first contact?" she asked them.

"I know I'm more than ready Captain. I've already checked out this section of the planet and they have quite the sights. I'm eager to check out how some of their systems work," Harry replied.

"Is that all you think about? I'm hoping to get to meet a few of the locals," Tom replied before leaning in closer. "Who knows? Maybe you'll be able to find a friend."

Harry rolled his eyes in mild disbelief before they continued down the hallway. They arrived at the transporter to be greeted by B'Elanna and Chakotay.

"It's about time. We've been waiting here for 15 minutes," growled the half-Klingon.

"Don't mind B'Elanna, she's eager to do some exploring," Chakotay replied.

B'Elanna shot him an angry stare before they stepped onto the transporter pad and the five dematerialized into thin air.

00000

They appeared on the street to be greeted by the chancellor and another Rysarian. He stepped forward with a huge smile on his face.

"Captain Janeway, welcome to Rysaria. Allow me to introduce Advisor Matol. She will see to your needs during your stay," Tyrex told them.

The woman approached them with a smile upon her face and gave a slight bow, her waist-length black hair creeping out from behind her shoulders.

"Please, call me Ekaterina," she told them.

They returned the bow as she eyed each and every one of them. Her stare rested on the Asian member of the crew and a grin started to appear on her face.

"This is some of my senior staff. Commander Chakotay, Lieutenants Paris and Torres, along with Ensign Kim," introduced Janeway.

"It is pleasure meeting all of you," Ekaterina told them, her attention reconnecting with the others.

"Allow me to show you where you will be staying. Please follow me," she told them.

She held out a hand for them to proceed and she carefully watched them walk past her. Ekaterina eyed each and every one of them but once she caught the attention of Ensign Harry Kim, she blushed slightly.

00000

Tom sat down on the chair, the computer sitting in front of him as if it were waiting just for him. Harry walked up behind him and looked at the screen.

"What are you doing?" wondered the ensign.

"What I'm trying to do is figure out their language and then maybe we can figure out something about them. Their history, culture and whatever else we could use," Tom replied.

The lieutenant stared at the screen for a moment before his eyes slipped for a glanced towards his friend.

"So…what do you think of Ekaterina?" Tom wondered.

Harry gave him a slightly surprised look. He raised an eyebrow as if saying 'what the heck are you talking about?'

"Come on Harry. Don't tell me you didn't notice at all how she was continually glancing in your direction. It was as if she wanted to ask you something but couldn't find the guts to do it," Tom explained.

"Well, maybe I did - a little. She is very attractive and extremely nice. If given enough time, I could've considered something more with her," Harry reminded him.

Tom gave a small laugh, shaking his head at the reminder. His stare went back to the computer, neither of them noticing a figure step through the door. He cleared his throat and the two twirled around to face the chancellor.

"We're sorry, if we're intruding…" started Harry.

"It's all right. I'm not here to prevent you from learning about us. I simply forgot to warn you and your friends about something," Tyrex explained.

The two friends waited for him to continue as he stepped closer to the window. He gazed out upon the nearby wooded areas, deep in thought.

"Be careful not to wander too far from the city, particularly out into the neighbouring forests. They harbour dangerous creatures that could kill you in a split second," Tyrex explained to them.

Tom and Harry raised an eyebrow at each other, their thoughts drifting back to what Neelix said earlier on board _Voyager _and wondered if they were indeed true. Tyrex turned back to face them, a sad smile written upon his face.

"But I don't think you will have to worry about the mereflow. It's been a while since they've made an appearance," sighed the chancellor.

The two were slightly confused by this new name and it was obviously written on their faces. Tyrex gave a small laugh, forgetting his place. He quickly proceeded to explain.

"The mereflow are the most dangerous creatures we have for there have been many sightings, along with a number of attacks but we cannot seem to find them. There have been a few hairs and a few prints yet they disappear as quickly as they appear. It's as if they vanish into thin air. There have been many theories to their location but none have been proven. Many say they have forms just like us," Tyrex explained.

Harry and Tom glanced at each other, wondering what to think. They turned their attention back to their host as Tyrex gave a small laugh.

"I apologize for the ramblings of an old man. I should have worried you with such tales. I should let you and your friends get some rest," the chancellor told them.

As he left the room, Harry glanced down at Tom, wondering if the Neelix's stories had indeed any truth to them.

"Maybe Neelix was right in warning us to stay away," Harry suggested.

"You heard the man Harry. Those creatures haven't shown their faces around here in a long time. They probably all died out from starvation or something like that. Besides, they sound like a fairy tale to me anyway, kind of like the werewolf," Tom remarked.

He returned his attention back to the computer screen, hoping he had reassured his friend's worries.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

TBC…


	3. Unforseen Turn of Events

"…and I'm afraid that's all I know about them Seven. Sorry I couldn't have been more help but even my knowledge is limited," Neelix apologized.

"No apology is needed. You have been a great help. You have given more insight about the Rysarians than the Borg ever did," replied Seven.

The half-Borg and Talaxian fell silent as they sat at the table. It appeared Seven was contemplating what she recently discovered but was unsure how to continue with the new information.

"They won't listen, you know that," Neelix piped up.

Seven broke out of her reverie to steal a glance from her companion. She couldn't help but give the tiniest of sighs.

"You know that I already warned them and they didn't believe me," Neelix said.

"I realize that but at least I believe you. There is something about these people that has me unwilling to trust them, perhaps since they have eluded assimilation for so long," Seven replied.

Neelix nodded in agreement as they climbed to their feet. They began to walk out of the room, their minds filled with several thoughts.

"So what do we do now?" wondered Seven.

"There is only one thing we really can do, Seven. Pray nothing happens to anybody during our stay here," Neelix replied

00000

Harry and Tom began to make their way down the street. Both were marveling at the grand architecture, which was unlike anything they had yet to encounter. The roof on the buildings seemed to take on a slight swirl as they raised to the sky. The window and door frames seemed to take on the same effect. The buildings themselves were made of a metal neither of them had seen before. On top of that, both had been amazed by the advanced computer systems, not unlike their own.

"Imagine that Neelix was warning us about this place. I really can't see why for these people have been great so far. It's beautiful here," Tom mused.

"Yeah," agreed Harry.

As they continued on, they soon came across a familiar face. Tom grinned as soon as his stare hit Ekaterina. Harry rolled his eyes, fully knowing what to expect from his friend.

"Come on, Tom, don't," Harry began to protest.

"What? I'm not planning to do anything. At least, nothing that involves you directly," replied Tom. "Hey, Ekaterina, wait a sec!"

The young Rysarian caught her name and glanced around for a moment before realizing who called her name. She beamed as she watched the lieutenant hurry up to her side.

"Listen, we were wondering if you could us a favour," Tom told her.

"I can try. What is it that you would like?" she replied.

As Harry stepped closer to the two, the smile on Ekaterina's face widened as she watched him move closer.

"For someone new to the area, what places would you suggest to them to go see?" Tom wondered.

Ekaterina thought about the question for several moments. She finally shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

"It is hard to narrow it down to just a few places for I know you're only staying a few days," she finally replied. "If I have to give a specific place, it would have to be the temple near the outskirts of town. I go there all the time and I am overcome with emotion every time I visit. The harso who reside there are very open to show visitors around."

Tom grinned. Harry rolled his eyes as Tom proceeded to ask where this temple was located and Ekaterina quickly agreed to escort them. As they began to head towards the building, Tom stole a glance at Harry, who gave him a disbelieving stare. The lieutenant dropped back to his friend and gave him a smile.

"Listen, I know only a few days but it will help for the two of you to know each other better," Tom whispered.

"But Tom, it would be all too quick," protested Harry.

Tom shrugged his shoulders, the silly grin still sitting on his face. Ekaterina led them towards the temple. As they came within sight of it, a huge smile crossed her face.

"There it is. Isn't it gorgeous?" she asked them.

"Yes, I have to admit it is," Harry agreed.

As they moved closer, it was then Tom noticed they were not far off from the forest that Tyrex had warned them about. He shrugged it off as the three of them stepped up to the door.

"Before we step inside, I should caution you the harso who reside in here are very devout to our god. _Please_ be careful what you say," she warned them.

As she reached for the door, a growling filled their ears. The trio turned to where the sounds were coming from to find two gigantic creatures heading in their direction. To Harry, their size appeared to be slightly bigger than a bear but their appearance was distinctly wolf-like.

"What the…?" began Harry.

"Oh no!" gasped Ekaterina. "The two of you, stay back! I know how to deal with these creatures!"

Before anyone could move, one of them lunged for Harry. Ekaterina lunged for the ensign and managed to push him out of the way before the creature attacked him. But not before she was scratched herself. She hissed, grasping her arm as they watched one lift its head and howl.

"Ekaterina, are you alright?" breathed Harry.

"I'll be fine," she replied.

Suddenly, a massive paw grabbed her around her neck. Ekaterina gasped for air as the colossal animal began to carefully observe her. Its nose barely moved at the scents around him as Tom looked on, unsure how to react. Suddenly, it started to make its way to the forest with Ekaterina in hand. She violently struggled to free herself from its death grip.

"Let me go!" she cried.

Tom pulled out a phaser and fired it at the creature but in his frantic state, he missed. He ran after the beast only to be swatted away like a fly. The other one growled at them as it advanced on them. Tom ran up to Harry and pulled his friend to his feet.

"Any more bright ideas?" wondered Harry.

"Nope, not right now," replied Tom. "Besides there's only one…"

His mood changed as he saw two more enter the scene. Each was just as huge as the other two and they began to encircle the two against the side of the temple.

"…to worry about?" finished Tom. "Great. Just great."

"Perfect. They've got Ekaterina and we have no idea how to defend ourselves against these creatures. What else could go wrong?" Harry mused.

As if on cue, the three creatures fell silent as another made its way to the front of the pack. Standing on its hind legs, they figured it must have been over seven feet high. The two watched as it growled to its companions, as if giving them orders. Its attention was soon drawn back to the lieutenant and ensign only to bare its teeth. It lunged for them, barely giving them enough time to react. Tom barely managed to dodge out of the way and he landed on the ground with a thud. Harry hissed as he felt a humungous weight bear down on top of his chest. He felt claws pinning each of his limbs to the ground and felt teeth puncture his skin. Once Tom realized what had happened, he blanched.

"Harry!" he screamed.

Feeling a sense of helplessness, Tom Paris couldn't but watch as his friend was brutally bitten in the shoulder by the massive creature. He watched as the creature lifted his head and to Tom, it almost looked like it was smiling. The pilot shut his eyes as the creature then sunk its teeth into his friend's thigh. Harry tried to keep his eyes open but soon found the pain to be too overwhelming and passed out underneath the weight of the massive creature.

"God, Harry, no," Tom whispered.

The sound of a weapon discharging made Tom open his eyes again. He watched as the creatures' ears perked up in curiousity. They all looked in the direction from where it came. Tom followed their stare to find one lone Rysarian standing several feet away.

"Be gone foul creatures!" the Rysarian roared.

He fired a few more shots and as quickly as they had arrived, the monstrous creatures turned and ran for the forest. The Rysarian watched them leave as Tom scrambled to his feet and ran over to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. By then, the ensign was very ashen in colour and sweating bullets. With his eyes closed, he was gasping for air. The Rysarian glanced up at Tom and sighed.

"If you value his life, we have to get him to the nearest doctor but he is a long way from here," he told the lieutenant.

"I can get him to my ship. If you could come with us, it would probably make things a hell of a lot easier in treating him," Tom told him.

The Rysarian thought about it for only a moment before nodding his head. Tom soon contacted Voyager and the three of them were beamed directly to sickbay.

TBC…


	4. Startling News

The Doctor sat calmly in his chair, reading the PADD sitting within his hand. All was going well for there had been no major emergencies recently. For the Doctor, it was going all too smoothly.

What caught his attention though was the sound of a transporter initiating and three figures began to materialize within his sickbay. He rushed over to the trio sitting on the floor. The figure laying on the floor in a growing pool of blood quickly caught his attention.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"We were attacked by one of the local creatures, Doc. It doesn't look good," Tom explained.

When the Doctor finally saw the wounds sitting on Harry Kim's body, along with the laboured breathing, he knew he was against something serious.

"Let's get him up so I can get a better look at him," the Doctor ordered.

As Tom helped Harry onto the biobed, the Rysarian stepped up to the Doctor.

"Who are you?" asked the hologram.

"My name is Ransor and I am an expert on the creatures who attacked your friends. You may need my help," came the reply.

The Doctor nodded as he rushed to the ensign's side. Grasping a nearby tricorder, he began to scan the wounds.

"Cartilage and ligaments have been completely torn out of place and the shoulder blade has been severely cracked, among other things. He also has severe hemorrhaging and needs immediate surgery. What was this thing?" the Doctor stated.

"Don't know what it was Doc, but it was huge," Tom quickly replied.

Ransor eyed the tricorder with disappointed eyes and they betrayed his feelings. Inwardly, he was hoping that there might have been something else but nothing else came. Snapping out of his reverie, he glanced at the two figures standing before him. The holographic doctor watched him, not saying a word as he began to prepare everything.

00000

"I can't believe I witnessed that ceremony, Captain. It was unbelievable," Chakotay mused.

"Neither can I but what do you want me to say? We're on an alien world. Whatever they consider normal is obviously going to seem quite strange to us," Janeway reminded.

B'Elanna sat silently in the chair across from the captain and first officer. Several thoughts were going through her mind and she was unsure where to start sorting them out. They finally landed on her two crewmates.

"We haven't heard from Tom and Harry in a while. I hope they're okay," she finally blurted out.

Both Janeway and Chakotay glanced at her before at each other before he gave a smile.

"I'm sure they're fine B'Elanna," he finally assured her.

The movement of feet outside the room caught everyone's attention. The trio looked to see Chancellor Tyrex standing nervously within the doorway, appearing very downcast. A lump settled in Janeway's stomach, fearing the worst for the safety of Tom and Harry. She quickly climbed to her feet, followed closely by Chakotay and B'Elanna.

"What happened?" demanded the captain.

The chancellor hesitated, knowing that what he had to them was not going to go over well at all.

"I was contacted just moments ago by several harso on the outskirts of town. They heard a commotion outside their temple and when they went to investigate, they witnessed my advisor being dragged off and your companions being attacked. One of them had been severely injured when they were taken back to your ship," Tyrex reluctantly explained.

Janeway paled as her first officer and chief engineer appeared horrified. She slapped on her combadge.

"_Voyager_, four to beam up," she commanded.

Tyrex didn't say a word as he felt the transporter beam encase him. Immediately, he found himself within the ship's transporter room and began to follow the captain through the door.

"Who would have done something like this? Doesn't your people already know that we are peacful and only here to trade?" demanded the captain.

"It's not who, Captain, it's what. It was several mereflow that attacked your friends," Tyrex replied.

Captain Janeway had to stop dead in her tracks and turned on her heels to stare at the chancellor in disbelief. B'Elanna and Chakotay weren't certain they heard correctly either.

"The _what_?" she wanted to confirm,

"The mereflow, Captain Janeway. It is a dangerous animal that we have here. We have learned to live with their ever lingering presence but they show up out of nowhere, make their attack and disappear as quickly as they appear. We cannot stop them for we cannot find them," Tyrex explained.

Janeway gritted her teeth as she stormed down the corridor, making her way for the sickbay. Once they arrived, they found a lone Rysarian standing outside. Tyrex sighed once he saw who it was.

"Chancellor Tyrex," breathed the Rysarian.

"Ransor, what are you doing here?" asked an upset chancellor.

"For your information, I rescued those two from being eaten alive from those vile creatures. I thought I might have been able to help, with my expertise and all," Ransor replied.

Tyrex growled in disgust as Janeway stepped up to the door. As it whirred open, the first thing she came across was the pool of blood sitting on the floor. As she glanced upwards, she found Harry laying unconscious on one of the biobeds.

"Harry!" she cried.

As she stepped forward, she took notice of Tom on a nearby bed, eyes closed in a troubled sleep. She never noticed the Doctor in the next room, who observed her presence after several seconds. He hurried into the room, a serious look on his face.

"Captain, I am so glad you're here. We may have a bit of a problem," he told her.

"A bit of a problem, you say? Two of my best officers have been attacked by a creature we know nothing about! For all either of us know, I may have just quarantined myself," she retorted.

She glanced over at her two officers before stepping over to Harry's side. She gave him a one over, taking note of his pale features before looking to the Doctor for an explanation.

"By what Mr. Paris was ranting and raving over before I had to sedate him, several seven-foot-tall wolf-like animals attacked the two of them and Advisor Matol before they dragged her away. Mr. Paris managed to get out of harm's way but Mr. Kim was not so lucky. His shoulder was torn to pieces and his femur was almost broken in half from the creature's teeth. The creature must have been on top of him for several of his ribs were broken and his internal organs suffered severe bruising," the Doctor explained.

The captain's stare quickly went back to her officer and she paled upon hearing the extent of the injuries as she placed a hand over her mouth.

"He's lucky. If that creature had him any longer, he'd be dead right now. I may have taken care of his more serious injuries but the next few hours are critical. He has lost a significant amount of blood and it's too early to tell if anything else decides to surface. I was just reviewing his blood analysis and there's no toxins or anything else foreign in his system...yet. I'm a little worried about the potential problems that may arise in his recovery. If anything, we should know what we're up against," he told her.

Janeway hurried back to the door and stepped outside to find an anxious quartet still waiting for an answer.

"Chancellor Tyrex, I demand to meet with any other survivors of these – mereflow," Janeway spat out the last word with clear disgust.

Tyrex and Ransor stole a quick glance with each other, both appearing to be quite nervous with the request. B'Elanna stepped forward, arms crossed and it looked like she was about to become very angry if not given a straight answer. Chakotay placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, hoping to calm her down enough as to not have an outburst. It was Tyrex who finally decided to speak up.

"I'm afraid we can't."

"And why is that now? Are you nervous about what we might do?" B'Elanna wondered.

Ransor couldn't help but stare at the door. Neither one wanted to upset their companions with the news they had to offer.

"There are none," Ransor piped up.

The trio had their eyes on the self-proclaimed 'expert'. He turned to them, a clearly morose look on his face.

"What do you mean, 'there are none'?" Chakotay questioned.

Ransor stared at the first officer, intent in his eyes. He gave a deep breathe before pointing at the door.

"Your two friends in there – are the very first two people to actually survive an attack by the mereflow," he told them.

TBC…


	5. Worsening Situation

"They have been around for as long as anyone can remember. No one knows where they came from but their stories have lived on through the generations. The mereflow are said to be quite the monstrous creature and that if you ever came across one, pray that they don't see you for you'll be dead within minutes," Ransor explained.

The group was now sitting in the ready room with Captain Janeway looking like she was going to jump out of her skin.

"And now one of my officers is on his deathbed because you know nothing about them. I still can't seem to understand why these creatures attack your people in the first place. If it's for food, I can't see why they don't attack the other animals that inhabit your planet," Janeway questioned.

Tyrex seemed embarrassed by the entire situation. His gaze was fixed on the table as he gave a deep sigh.

"Captain, I cannot give you an explanation for we have none. Their attacks are random and why they attack us, we've never had the foggiest clue for you are correct in saying we have a wide variety of wildlife nestled within our forests," Tyrex replied. "Captain, I can completely understand if you want to cease any further relations."

Janeway didn't immediately reply as she eyed the two Rysarians. Chakotay glanced towards Ransor, who appeared to be biting his nails.

"I'm curious about one thing: you seem to know so much but are unable to find them. Why is that?" he asked.

"I've had this long standing belief that the mereflow are able to transform into a being like you or I. The chancellor, on the other hand, has a quite different view," Ransor explained.

"That part of the story is a myth! It never seemed plausible to me that a mereflow could change into a Rysarian! The anatomy is too different!" Tyrex protested.

Janeway climbed to her feet, hoping to give the chancellor an answer to his inquiry but the familiar ring of the comm system and a voice filled their ears.

"Bridge to Captain Janeway."

"Yes, what is it?" she replied.

"There's a transmission coming from the surface of Rysaria for Chancellor Tyrex. They say it's important," the voice told them.

"Acknowledged."

Janeway rushed out the door with the quartet following quickly behind her. As they made their way to the bridge, Tyrex appeared anxious to know what the news was. He feared the worst for he knew exactly who it was about. The group walked through the door and found the face of a Rysarian on the screen.

"Chancellor Tyrex, Advisor Matol has been found alive. She is badly scratched and exhausted but she will be fine. She is requesting your presence along with Captain Janeway's," the Rysarian anxiously informed them.

"Understand. Thank you for alerting me so soon. We'll be right down," Tyrex quickly replied.

As the picture disappeared, Janeway turned to the chancellor, a grin sitting on her face.

"Well, well, well, this is a day for firsts. Not only are my officers the first survivors, turns out Ekaterina's the first to escape from them. I'm eager to hear this story. Chakotay, you have the bridge," Janeway said.

Tyrex eyed her every move as she led him to the transporter room. They beamed down to the surface, directly outside a building. He gently knocked on the door and a face peeked out. Once the Rysarians inside saw who it was, they allowed the two inside.

"Please be short. She has been through quite the ordeal," the man advised him.

Tyrex nodded as he hurried over to Ekaterina, who was silently laying on the nearby bed. The captain watched as the few doctors scurried about.

"Advisor Matol, we are here, as you requested," Tyrex said to her.

Ekaterina slightly opened her eyes and turned to face them, a smile written across her face. She squirmed about a bit before finding her voice.

"How are Lieutenant Paris and Ensign Kim?" she asked.

"The lieutenant is unscathed. The ensign, on the other hand is recovering from serious wounds suffered from the mereflow. We figure that within time, he will completely recover," Janeway told her.

Ekaterina managed to widen her smile a bit at the good news before she began to cough. Tyrex proceeded to tell her to calm down as the chirping sound of Janeway's combadge went off. Giving a deep sigh, she found herself moving to answer.

"Yes, what is it?" she finally asked.

"Captain, I'm afraid we have a problem," the Doctor's voice filled her ears.

Her heart dropped as she heard those words. Her thoughts were back to Harry and what his condition could possibly be now.

00000

"So you're telling me an infection has surfaced and it's slowly getting worse?" Janeway repeated.

The Doctor reluctantly nodded. He stood beside the comatose ensign as both the captain and Tom Paris looked on. They felt helpless for Harry was rapidly burning up and had already begun to hallucinate. Even as they spoke, the murmurs emitted from his mouth.

"There must be something we can do!" protested Tom.

"I'm afraid there isn't. The infection began a few hours ago in the areas he suffered the wounds. A severe fever soon followed and it's slowly rising. I've tried everything I have but nothing's working. If we don't do something soon, I fear it might be the end of him after all," the Doctor explained.

The possibilities whirled through her mind and none were to her liking. She gave Tom and the Doctor a knowing look. Both instantly knew what she was thinking and Tom groaned, rolling his eyes.

"You're not thinking about letting _them_ take care of him, Captain?" cried Tom.

"We may have no choice, Tom. This might be something that was transferred to him through that mereflow creature. If that is indeed the case, it may be the reason why none of _our_ medicine will work but theirs might," Janeway explained.

Suddenly, a scream filled their ears. The trio quickly looked to see Harry flailing about on the biobed. The Doctor and Tom each grabbed an arm and a leg in order to keep him down. Janeway watched as Harry slowly succumbed to their will.

"Calm down Harry. You're going to be fine," Tom quietly told him.

He stole a glance at the captain when he felt Harry jerk his arm away and grasped his collar with a surge of strength none of them had seen before. Tom hadn't any chance to react as he was pulled down until he was about two inches from his friend's face. Harry's eyes were wild as Janeway hurried up to him and placed her hands gently beside him.

"Ensign Kim, please put him down before you hurt him or yourself," Janeway gently commanded.

Carefully, Harry's grip loosened and Tom released himself. He watched as his friend lie back down on the bed and fall back into a restless sleep. Tom turned to the captain, a guilty look on his face.

"Maybe you're right that we need the Rysarians," he admitted.

Janeway said nothing as she hurried over to the console. After tapping a few buttons, Chakotay's face popped up on the screen.

"What is it Captain?" he asked.

"Get me Chancellor Tyrex and patch it through to sickbay," she ordered.

"Certainly. Stand by," he replied.

After several tense moments, Tyrex finally appeared on her screen. He seemed very distraught, most likely from the uncertainty of the situation.

"How is your officer Captain?" he asked.

"Not good. He's developed an infection that's slowly killing him. None of our medications are working. I was hoping that maybe you had something that could combat this," she explained.

"Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This is not good. I warned our doctors this might happen. They have requested you transport him back down here. Whatever infection he might have, they will need immediate access to our medications," Tyrex told them.

"We'll be down immediately. Janeway out," she quickly responded.

As the chancellor's image disappeared, Tom gulped. Janeway noticed and gave a sigh.

"Listen, he's right. They'll need quick access to their medicines, which we don't carry and we can't keep transporting it up. We don't know how much they'll need. If you'd like to join us down, Lieutenant Paris, you have that option," she told him.

Tom weakly nodded, gently grasping his friend's good shoulder. All three hoped they weren't too late in getting the help he needed.

TBC…


	6. More Questions than Answers

Tyrex watched as four figures materialized before him. He held his head low as the healer and the Doctor made their way for Harry while Janeway and Paris walked up to the chancellor. Janeway glanced around the room, noting that one body was evidently missing.

"Where's Advisor Matol? I thought she wasn't feeling the best after her rescue," Janeway wondered.

"They moved her into an adjoining room so she would be out of the way for now. I am so sorry this had to happen in the first place. I should have made certain that measures were in place to prevent them from getting into the city during this time," he apologized.

Paris appeared to be fuming but Janeway held out a hand to keep him back. Tyrex motioned for the two of them to follow and they made their way to the next room where they found Ekaterina. She was on her side, facing away from them when her ears perked up in interest. She turned enough to see who had arrived and smiled.

"It's to see you're all right Lieutenant Paris," she breathed.

"It's good to see you're alive, Ekaterina. Though I'm wondering how you managed to get away from those things. We were told that one doesn't exactly live through such an encounter," Tom wondered.

Ekaterina sighed as she lifted herself to a sitting position. Placing a hand in her chin, she gazed out the nearby window.

"They took me to a small clearing in the forest, where they placed me near the edge of the trees. While they began fighting amongst themselves, I managed to crawl away enough to disappear into the forest before I started to run. I didn't stop until I reached civilization," she explained.

Janeway couldn't help but notice the immense worry written on her face. The captain figured that the advisor felt at least partly responsible for allowing Harry's injuries. Her concentration was shattered when they heard a voice coming from the next room.

"Mr. Paris, we could use another pair of arms in here for a moment," the Doctor called out.

The captain and lieutenant stole a glance before he rushed into the room to help. Tom walked to the tiny group and knelt beside his friend. He noticed that the healer was shaking his head as he finished with the readings.

"It is a very good thing you came when you did. This particular infection is deadly if left untreated for too long. I will need to administer several medications to combat this and he will be very resistant. Lieutenant, if you could keep a hold on his legs," the healer explained.

Tom nodded and did as he was told. As the doctor began to give Harry the medicines, Tom could sense him trying to resist. He gently held down his friend's legs as medication was continued to be orally administered. As Tom helplessly looked on, he watched as his friend nearly choked a few times.

"Are you certain _all _of these medications are necessary?" Tom finally asked.

"I'm afraid it's the only way to make certain that the infection is completely eradicated from his body," the healer replied.

Unexpectedly, Tom felt a leg move and it quickly kicked him in the chest. He was horrified as it appeared Harry began to seize. The trio quickly held him down as the seizure quickly took effect. As quickly as it started, Harry went limp as his eyes rolled back.

"It is killing him, even now. We have to work quickly so he does not get any permanent damage," the healer said.

The doctor and lieutenant both nodded as they finished giving the ensign all the other medications. Once it was all over, the healer stood up and wiped his brow.

"Now all we can do is wait and see what happens. After some time has elapsed, we shall have to give him more. The rest is up to him," he told them.

As the Doctor stood up and walked over to the captain, Tom Paris moved up his friend's side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't die on us now Har. You can make it," he whispered.

The muffled voices in the background talked for several minutes before they stopped. The gentle sound of footsteps filled the lieutenant's ears but they barely registered.

"Tom," a voice called to him.

He turned around to find the captain standing behind him, a small smile on her face.

"We're planning to stay for a while. At least until the infection is eradicated from his system and he's completely out of harm's way," Janeway told him.

She knelt beside him, a question resting on the tip of her tongue: the one inquiry to which she had a feeling what to expect for an answer.

"Until then, we need someone to stay with him. Keep an eye on him and inform us of his progress. Do you know of any volunteers?" she asked.

"I do Captain. I'd like to stay," Paris immediately answered.

Janeway smiled, fully expecting the answer and nodded her head. She glanced at the ensign, who was resting uncomfortably in the bed. She rose to a standing position and tapped her combadge.

"_Voyager_, two to beam up," she commanded.

As the captain and doctor disappeared, a figure poked her arm around the corner. Tyrex looked to see Ekaterina hovering near the doorway.

"Advisor Matol, you know you…" he started.

"I know the protocol Chancellor. I was hoping to join Lieutenant Paris in his vigil over Ensign Kim," she requested.

"But…" the chancellor tried to protest.

Ekaterina shot him an angry glare as she stormed over to him. Standing toe to toe with her superior, she appeared very defiant.

"I feel responsible for taking them to go see that temple so close to the forest. I should have known they would not know how to deal with the mereflow if we had encountered them. I thought the chance was next to none but it happened anyway. _Let me stay_," she asserted.

Tyrex gave a deep sigh before nodding his head. Ekaterina bow slightly in thanks before joining Tom Paris and sat down across from him. She gently grasped Harry's hand and lifted it. Tom noticed the tears starting to form in her eyes and looked away.

"Be strong Ensign Kim," she whispered.

0000

As soon as Janeway landed on the transporter pad, she made her way out the door. She hurried down the corridor until she reached the turbolift.

"Bridge," she commanded.

As the lift began to move, the thoughts swirled though her mind. When the lift stopped and the doors opened, she walked up to Chakotay, who quickly stood up.

"How's Harry?" he wondered.

"As far as they can tell, once the infection is under control he'll be fine. It'll take a few days for their medicines to run their course. Until they do…" Janeway replied as she stepped up to the viewscreen. "…I would like to see what's going on in that forest of theirs. Does anyone know where that Ransor fellow got to?"

00000

The animal carefully made its way through the dense forest. Its nose detected several other scents and began to follow them. As they grew stronger, it found itself in a clearing with many others. Most of them turned to see who it was and they lowered their heads. The newcomer made its way to the front of the pack and glanced around at everyone.

"What should we do now? For the first time in anyone's recollection, someone has lived to tell about us," asked one.

"What about these newcomers? I don't trust them. They're different than the rest and I fear they might come after us for harming their friend," another said.

"What are we supposed to do about the ones who escaped from us earlier?" one asked with a growl.

The alpha listened to all the questions being thrown into the air before baring his teeth and growling. The mereflow jumped down and began pacing throughout the group.

"Listen to yourselves! We haven't lived this long by acting like cowards! The Rysarians, along with the rest of this galaxy, have grown to fear us. These newcomers may be a little different than others that we have encountered but we will treat them the same way! We take as many as we can and deal with the rest," Tenru rumbled at them.

All of them glanced around at each other before one stepped forward. He proudly raised his head before his leader, watching every move he made.

"Tenru, what about this one you've chosen? What if he leaves before you can get him within our midst? You know he will die if he doesn't and then you will be the last one in this pack," he asked.

The alpha began to walk in the opposite direction and sat down, turning its stare up to the moon.

"Rosar, I will make certain he doesn't leave this planet and he will be at his rightful place with us. I can assure you on that. All I need is some more time," the mereflow replied.

TBC…


	7. The Beginnings of a Plan

Each minute felt like an hour to Tom and Ekaterina. They took turns in their vigil while the other found whatever rest they could find. The first couple of days had gone by pretty uneventful as Ekaterina found herself watching over him in the late hours of the night on the third day. With help from the doctors, they noticed the changes in the infection. Tom sat nearby, a PADD sitting in his hands but he found he barely read the words.

"He seems to be better. It is good to see an improvement," she mused.

"That's good. I'd feel like crap if anything else happened to him. I've got butterflies in my stomach over what's happened already," Tom sighed.

Ekaterina glanced in his direction for clarification. Tom dropped the PADD into his lap, wondering how he should explain.

"Ekaterina, you said a few days ago you felt responsible for this since you took us so close to the forest in order to see that temple. Well, I feel partly responsible because I asked you to take us there in the first place," he replied.

"Don't be for you are new here. We have lived here a long time and we still do not know when they plan to attack," she told him with a smile.

A strange noise filled their ears and they both turned to see Harry breathing heavily. He raised his arms, trying to grasp something as the two hurried over to him. Each grabbed a hand as they tried to listen.

"What's wrong with him?" Tom demanded to know.

Ekaterina listened carefully before she heard the gasping sounds that were coming from Harry's mouth and realized what was happening.

"Oh dear. Get him onto his side!" she cried.

As soon as they turned him on his good shoulder, he began to violently cough and vomit began to trickle out of the corner of his mouth. Tom blanched once he understood what was happening yet again. He covered his eyes, unable to watch the liquid spurt out from his friend's mouth. The random occurence was eventful each time and Tom was beginning to wonder what was coming out of his friend's stomach.

"I wish this never happened to him. I wish it was me that those monsters attacked," he murmured.

Ekaterina ignored his ramble. She stared at Harry as she tenderly rubbed his back, gently murmuring to him. The Rysarian hoped to get him to bring everything up out of his stomach. Once it seemed that all was out, they began to calm down again.

"I only wish he'd would regain consciousness and tell us what he's feeling," Tom sighed.

Ekaterina nodded but a gentle movement under her hand made her jump slightly. As she looked back to Ensign Harry Kim, she noticed his eyes were slightly open. She gently grasped his arm, and moved to face him better for she was unsure if she was seeing things correctly.

"Ensign Kim, how are you feeling?" she fervently asked.

Tom's head perked up in interest. He moved next to Ekaterina, placing a hand on his friend's arm. Barely acknowledging his friend's presence, Harry Kim carefully lifted his hand and brushed it against Ekaterina's tear-laden cheek.

"You…are so…beautiful," he whispered.

As quickly as he woke up, his eyes closed back up and fell back to sleep. Ekaterina and Tom hugged each other with huge smiles on their faces, knowing that he was going to be fine.

00000

Janeway and B'Elanna walked down the street, watching all the citizens walk by. They took notice of a few crewmembers brave enough to continue their sightseeing, despite the warnings. Ransor was several feet behind them, trying to sort through all the papers he held. The two women continually heard him muttering to himself. The half-Klingon suddenly stopped and twirled around to face him.

"Could you please stop that? We won't find them with _Voyager'_s sensors. There's too much interference," she sighed.

"I know that but I have done my own research which spans many years before you arrived here. I keep telling you they can't be found easily but I think I have narrowed down the possibilities of where their home is located. That's why I asked someone to join me to my home, so I could show them my work," Ransor protested.

Janeway gently placed a hand on B'Elanna's shoulder and before they continued to follow Ransor to his home. As they stepped inside, they were both amazed by the sheer amount of books, maps, articles and other memorabilia about the mereflow.

"I guess you have done your research after all. Where do you even know where to start?" asked the captain.

Ransor dropped the papers he held onto the desk in the middle of the room before rushing over to a nearby wall map. Janeway recognized several aspects of the city from when they were in orbit. He pointed to the sections of trees on the edge of the town. He circled a portion of the trees and smiled.

"I believe they keep their home somewhere near this section of the forest. Unfortunately, there's something in those woods that prevent our sensors from working properly, as you already know. Some people have tried to search for them by going into the forest but they never came back. We don't know if it's something natural or if someone placed beacons there which emit a signal that scrambles everything," Ransor explained.

"If that was the case, who would want to do that? As far as I understand, these mereflow are nothing but mindless animals that happen to hunt people as an apparent source of food. How would they have the capability of doing something like that?" asked B'Elanna.

"We're not exactly sure who did it if they are there and we can't get through either way," Ransor explained.

Janeway stared at the map, taking care to note everything that should could about the surroundings. She stepped away from the wall for a moment, piecing together this new information. Janeway turned her stare towards Ransor, who became slightly uncomfortable from being under scrutiny.

"If I got several of my security personnel together, I think I'd like to try and head into this forest of yours. The only thing though, is that we would need a thorough plan so we lost no one. If the three of us, my chief security officer and Chancellor Tyrex could get together very soon, we could make this work," Janeway suggested.

The engineer recoiled before she stood in front of the captain, the total disbelief written on her face.

"But Captain, it is suicide to even try! Look at what happened to Harry and he didn't even go near the forest!" protested B'Elanna.

Janeway stared at her chief engineer and gave a deep sigh.

"B'Elanna, I know what you're thinking. That's why I want these attacks to stop. I want to prevent the same tragedy from occurring to anyone else simply wanting to trade with these people," Janeway quietly replied. "Ransor, how soon can we meet with the chancellor?"

Ransor nodded before hurrying to his console. He soon came into contact with the chancellor, who appeared to be slightly upset.

"This had better be good Ransor," he muttered.

"It is. Captain Janeway requests a meeting with you. She'd like to try and find the mereflow," Ransor explained.

The chancellor's eyes widened before telling her to come over immediately.

00000

Harry groaned as he absently lifted a hand to his head. His body ached all over and he heard voices but couldn't quite make them out. As he opened his eyes, he found Ekaterina hovering above him with the sun bathing her in a stream of yellow light.

"Ensign, how are you feeling?" she asked him.

"I've been better," he whispered.

He groaned as he tried to sit up before realizing his slight predicament. Harry blushed slightly as Ekaterina giggled. She sat next to him, her hand sitting on his cheek and he placed his own hand over hers.

"Calm down before you hurt yourself even further. Do you remember what happened?" she asked him.

Harry had to think for a moment. He wracked his brain, hoping to recall something before shutting his eyes tight as memories flashed through his mind.

"These creatures…attacked the two of us and Tom. You were dragged away. How did you…?" he finally said.

"We were attacked by mereflow a few days ago. You had been seriously injured. Your doctor healed your wounds but you had developed a serious infection which almost took your life. As for how I escaped from those creatures…" she explained. "…I managed to escape when they weren't looking."

Harry was amazed by the story. With his hand still on his head, he appeared to be dumbfounded for the memories were a bit fuzzy to him.

"And you stayed here to watch over me? Why did you?" he wanted to confirm.

Ekaterina lowered her stare, a bit uncertain how to respond. Harry gently lifted himself up with his good shoulder and carefully placed his other hand on her cheek. Ekaterina closed her eyes as she leaned into his hand.

"I felt responsible for your well-being. If you had died, I would have never forgiven myself," she finally replied.

Harry smiled at her. Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her. For a split second, she was a little tentative but quickly embraced the sensation and deepened it. She placed a hand on his chest and it slowly began to snake its way down his front. Whether Harry Kim noticed or didn't care, she wasn't certain. Within a few moments, it landed near the edge of the blanket and she began to slip her fingers underneath…

"Ekaterina, could I get your help on something?" Tom called out to her.

He walked around the corner to find them breaking off from the kiss. Ekaterina jerked her hand back, hoping that the arrival hadn't noticed. Both were equally embarrassed by the situation.

"I am so sorry," she quickly apologized.

She immediately climbed to her feet, her stare facing the ground and rushed out of the room. Tom and Harry watched her leave before the lieutenant smirked and stared at his friend.

TBC…


	8. Traveling Back Down the Road

"What was that all about Harry?" he asked.

"What was what all about?" Harry wanted to confirm.

"What happened with Ekaterina just now. If I hadn't come in when I did, I think she would have been all over you," Tom replied.

Harry couldn't help but smile as he laid back down onto the bed. Tom quickly hurried over to help ease his descent. The ensign sighed, closed his eyes and thought of his recent encounter with the Rysarian woman.

"Tom, don't blame her for I was the one who kissed her. I-I don't even know what came over me. I simply had the urge to kiss her and I acted upon it," Harry laughed.

Tom silently sat down beside his friend, a hand up to his chin. He carefully watched each and every one of his friend's reactions for a few moments. Harry soon looked up at his friend, a grin written all over his face.

"Tom, I'd like to get up later and see the rest of the city before we leave," Harry requested.

"Um, Harry, you just woke up from a three day coma. I'd love to say that we could but we probably won't have the time. Captain Janeway said that once you're free of the infection, we're not staying too much longer unless we absolutely have to. Captain and doctor's orders," Tom sternly replied.

"That is precisely why I would want to get out before we leave. Tom, besides the mild aches and fatigue, I feel fine. I could get around if I had someone with me," Harry protested.

"We'll have to wait and see Harry. I can't promise you anything until I get another opinion," Tom told him

Harry opened his mouth to protest but Tom stopped him. He shrugged his shoulders, knowing that there was nothing he could do. The ensign laid his head down on the pillow, several thoughts swirling through his mind.

00000

Tyrex shook his head as he sat across from Janeway, Tuvok, B'Elanna and Ransor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It is impossible to see this plan through to its entirety, Captain. No one has ever escaped those woods alive! There are too many mereflow to escape, even if a dozen teams of five went in at different points!" he protested.

"How do you know how many there are? I got the impression that no one knows the true extent of these creatures," Tuvok wondered.

"We don't but like any other species on the planet, or even in the rest of the galaxy, they have to be producing off-spring. It appears lately whenever they attack, it's been in increasingly larger numbers," Ransor interjected.

Janeway listened to the argument, the same one she had been hearing for the last few days. She was beginning to tire of it and she was hoping the conflict with the mereflow would stop.

"Please listen to me, Tyrex. Ransor has kindly taken his time to explain to us about these mereflow and the possible location for their home. If we could capture only one of these creatures alive, then we could determine a lot more about them than what you realize," Janeway explained.

Tyrex thought about the proposal for several seconds. Tuvok handed him a PADD and the chancellor glanced through it before nodding.

"I agree to its execution. The only thing I request I make of you is that if you indeed take any of my people, take only those who are willing. Many are scared of those trees and what they may hide," Tyrex sighed.

Janeway gave a huge smile before nodding. She glanced between Tuvok and B'Elanna, knowing that the struggle could soon be over.

"Fine then. We'll finish the plans tonight and head out just before sunrise tomorrow morning. Hopefully, they'll smell us coming from a mile away," Janeway told them.

00000

Ekaterina silently walked into the room, carrying a tray with some food. She found Harry on the bed with his eyes closed. She took notice that he was now dressed in typical Rysarian clothing. She figured that the uniforms they wore were still too constricting for his recovery, considering the wounds he suffered. She laid the food on the table next to the bed and turned to leave when a hand grabbed her arm. Startled, she looked down at the ensign, who was smiling.

"Ekaterina, please don't go," he whispered.

"Ensign Kim…" she started.

"Please, call me Harry. Ensign Kim sounds too formal," he interrupted.

"Harry, I am glad you are going to live. Your friends and crewmembers were very worried for your safety, Lieutenant Paris most of all," she told him.

Harry couldn't help but smile at his best friend's concern towards him. He glanced around the room, wondering how he could ask the question that was on his mind when a doctor walked into the room.

"Mr. Kim, it is good to see you awake. You have been asleep for over half the day," he said.

The ensign smiled as the man walked up to the bed. He shooed Ekaterina out of the room temporarily as Harry carefully pushed himself into a sitting position. The doctor held a device similar to the tricorders they had on _Voyager _over Harry.

"How do you feel?" the healer asked.

"My shoulder and leg ache a bit but I feel fine otherwise," Harry replied.

The doctor narrowed his eyes as he stared at the small machine sitting in his hands. Harry was wondering what was wrong as he watched the Rysarian.

"That is odd. The infection that coursed through you is dissipating at a faster rate than what I normally see. I am uncertain if it is your species in general or if you heal very quickly," the doctor responded.

"Does that I mean I can get up and go outside for a bit?" Harry asked him.

The Rysarian doctor was a little tentative in giving him an answer. He gave an uncertain look as he stared at Harry.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't advise someone straining themselves when they don't have to. But you are fighting this infection much faster than anticipated. I suppose you could go out for a short walk to get some strength back but you are not to go alone and not far," the doctor told him.

Harry nodded as the Rysarian called Ekaterina back into the room. In with her, came Tom Paris. He quietly explained the situation to them and they silently walked up to the ensign. She gave him a broad smile as they helped him climb to his feet. The two held him steady for a moment as he tried to regain his balance.

"I guess it's been a few days, hasn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, it has, Har. Now about that walk you were asking about earlier?" Tom replied, a smile on his face.

00000

The trio carefully walked down the street. Harry took hesitant steps the entire way and his two companions made certain they never wandered far.

"It feels so good to get out and breathe in the fresh air again," sighed Harry.

"It's good to see you up and about Harry. We were worried that you weren't going to make it there," Tom told him.

That small fact hadn't strayed far from Harry's mind. His stare went to Ekaterina, who was occasionally pointing out several older buildings among other places of interest. He found he couldn't help but move his eyes over the entire length of her body and smiled. Tom noticed and waved a hand in front of his friend's face. Breaking out of his reverie, Harry turned to his friend, a stupid grin sitting on his face.

"You like what you see now? I thought you were uncertain about getting to know her," Tom mused.

"Well, nearly dying gives one a different perspective on things," Harry smiled.

Tom shrugged it off as they continued to head down the street. After several more minutes, Tom turned his attention back to Harry to find his eyes were slightly closed and was slightly swaying on his feet.

"Harry?" Tom questioned.

He rushed to his friend's and called up to Ekaterina, who quickly realized what was happening. She hurried up to them as Tom gently lowered Harry to the ground.

"We have travelled too far from the infirmary but my home is nearby. We can take him there and I will contact the doctors from there," she told him.

Tom nodded, waiting a few moments before lifting the ensign up. Once they reached her home, she quickly led him inside and towards her bed. They carefully laid him down and Ekaterina placed a hand on his forehead.

"I think he simply grew tired, though his fever has risen a bit. He may have gotten a little too eager to get out of bed. We should probably let him rest for now," she sighed.

Tom nodded as his combadge chirped and the captain's voice called out to him.

"Yes Captain?" he replied.

"_I'd like to see you promptly in the chancellor's office. There's something I'd like to discuss with you,"_ Janeway told him.

"I'm on my way," Tom replied.

He climbed to his feet, carefully watching Ekaterina's every movement. She was gently caressing Harry's cheek, barely noticing the lieutenant leave.

"Probably won't be until tomorrow but I'll be back to check up on him. Take care of him until I do," Tom requested.

Ekaterina nodded. She watched him from the corner of her eye as he left the building. She gave a deep sigh before turning her attention back to Harry Kim, wondering what exactly was going to happen next.

00000

Tom Paris walked into the chancellor's office to find his crewmembers milling about the room. The captain soon took notice of his presence and carefully made her way to the pilot.

"Lieutenant Paris, we proposed the idea to Chancellor Tyrex and he has agreed on the condition that we only take volunteers. I've reconsidered my position, just like you asked me to," she quietly asked him.

Not pressing any further, she motioned to him to follow. He complied and he found himself standing in front of a map.

"You're still not going to allow me to join you on this mission, are you?" Tom Paris questioned.

Janeway didn't respond immediately, allowing the question to sink back in. A few tense moments pased before she turned back to Tom Paris.

"Lieutanant, if it had been somebody else, anybody else, I would gladly let you join us but it wasn't. They attacked one of the very few people on _Voyager _that you deeply care about. I honestly feel that you're too emotionally involved to be of any help out there. If anything, we could use you here, coordinating our efforts to track them," Janeway explained.

Tom nodded his head, understanding what the captain meant and requested. He moved away a few steps, running a hand through his hair.

"I just want to get back at those monsters for attacking Harry," Tom sighed.

"So does everyone else but we both know that you could become a liability out there. Your thirst for vengence could cost us what we are setting out to do. We both know the reputation that forest has grown to have which is why we're going in at once in groups. The only way we'd all be taken out is if they knew we were coming," Janeway explained.

Tom stared at the map of the forest. He was upset that he was not going before returning his stare to the captain, a lingering question on his lips.

"Captain, what exactly are you planning to do with the mereflow once we've captured one?" Tom wondered.

The captain intensely looked at the map, pondering her response. She had been expecting the question ever since she made it known what the intention was. She carefully studied the lieutenant, who was patiently waiting for the answer.

"I plan to find out the truth: to see if these creatures are truly monsters or if they really are indeed sentient beings. Hopefully, we'll be able to make a compromise. If not, we may have to take some drastic measures," Janeway replied.

TBC…


	9. Out of the Frying Pan

The sun was slowly setting as Harry took a deep breath, slowly opening his eyes. He took a glance around to find himself in a strange surrounding. Placing a hand on his chest, he soon found he had no shirt on. He heard humming in the background and he looked around before he saw Ekaterina in the doorway, now dressed in a simple robe. They smiled at each other as she stepped up to the bed with a plate of food.

"What happened?" he wondered.

"We were out for far too long and you grew fatigued. Not only that, your temperature rose again. So much that you were sweating and I had to remove your shirt. I thought you might like something to eat," she replied.

She gave him the food, which he greedily gulped down. Ekaterina watched his every move with a smile upon her face. As he finished, she quickly took the plate back to the kitchen. Harry watched her every move, a longing look on his face yet still hearing what she was saying to him.

"Lieutenant Paris had to leave a while ago. Your captain wanted him for something but I don't know what it was. He said he would be back tomorrow to check up on you," she called to him.

When she returned, she carefully sat back down next to him, a worried look on her face. He gently cupped her cheek and she placed her hand over his. Harry carefully leaned in closer in order to kiss her but she moved her head away.

"Maybe we shouldn't..." she started.

"Don't lie to me. I know how much you wanted this earlier and Tom won't be here to bother us this time," he huskily replied.

Harry moved closer again and she allowed him to kiss her. After a few moments, she deepened the kiss. Harry moved his hand down and gently manuevered his fingers past the outer layers of the robe until the met bare skin. Ekaterina gently quivered under the touch. Harry hesitated for a moment, a bit uncertain how far he should go.

"You are beautiful," he whispered into her ear.

She smiled as she kissed him again, her wandering hand moving further down his chest. They found the waistband of his pants before it completely disappeared into them. Harry felt sensations unlike anything else he had ever felt and he gasped into her mouth. They broke off the kiss and she took notice of the sweat pouring down his face.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she quietly asked.

He gulped, wondering if he could find his voice as he turned his head away slightly.

"It's just that - I've never felt these sensations before," he said.

Ekaterina gently placed a hand on his cheek and moved his stare back towards hers.

"Allow it to come Harry. Don't keep it locked up," she calmly told him.

Carefully, he opened the front of her robe and stared at her. Ekaterina squirmed slightly underneath him and he couldn't help but give a small laugh.

"Take me now," she breathed.

Harry grinned at her words.

00000

Two mereflow walked into the clearing as another walked up to him.

"I see you finally got him," he mused.

"I told you all I needed was some time. Now get everyone capable of travel. We have an opportunity unlike anything any other we've ever had," came the reply.

The mereflow nodded before beginning to shout orders as the others quickly followed them. The two new arrivals looked at each other and the one smiled, despite the reservations of the other.

"Do not worry. They will be fine."

00000

As the sun's rays began to lighten the air, Janeway walked toward the forest with Tuvok, Ransor and several others right behind her. In the distance, the captain could see parts of the other groups preparing to go in themselves. Tapping her commbadge, she contacted her chief engineer.

"How are things with you B'Elanna?" she asked.

_"Good, Captain. Everything appears to be going smoothly enough," _came B'Elanna's voice.

Janeway gave a deep sigh as she stared at the trees before her. She turned her head enough to watch the others in her company.

"Okay, let's do this," she said.

They carefully made their way past the trees, weapons in hand. The morning shadows danced all around them, jumping over the dead trees that somewhat littered the ground. They passed a few bones along the way. Both Janeway and Tuvok were starting to understand as to why as to why the forest was so feared. The group soon came to a small clearing and stopped.

"It's quiet. Too quiet," Ransor muttered.

"Be patient. This isn't over yet," Janeway reminded him.

As if on cue, a growling was soon heard overhead and a shadow fell over them. Janeway turned her stare to find a jet-black mereflow hovering on the rock above them. Others soon came out from behind the trees and they carefull advanced on the small group. Ransor raised his phaser to fire at them but Janeway forced his arm down.

"We're only here to talk," Janeway gently told them.

The creatures didn't listen to her as one raised its head and gave an unearthly howl. Others could be heard in the distance, coupled with phaser fire and Janeway paled as she realized what was happening.

_'They knew. I don't know how but they knew,'_ she thought.

As soon as the howling subsided, the creature jumped down at them, scattering the entire group. There was a mad rush as everyone began to run everywhere. One mereflow steadily walked towards her, forcing Janeway back against a tree. It hadn't stopped growling the enitre time. Glancing to her one side, she noticed Tuvok was the only one remaining, the others being chased around the forest. After a few short moments, the next thing Captain Kathryn Janeway knew was darkness.

00000

Tyrex carefully studied the papers sitting in his hands. He was worried about the situation for he hadn't heard anything yet from anyone. He climbed to his feet to head to a nearby console when the door to his office slammed open to reveal a breathless Ransor. Tryex could tell something was wrong simply by the terror in Ransor's eyes.

"What happened? Where is everybody else?" he demanded.

"Chancellor, we have a problem," Ransor cried.

00000

Chakotay had butterflies in his stomach as he impatiently waited for any response from the captain. The others carefully watched him, eagerly waiting with him.

"Don't worry Commander. They'll be fine," one crewman said.

Chakotay didn't reply for he feared something would go wrong anyway. Suddenly, the console beeped and everyone jumped to attention, all wondering what the news was going to be.

"It's from the chancellor," someone finally said.

"Onscreen," ordered Chakotay.

A morose Tyrex apeared on the screen and the butterflies in his stomach intensified even more.

_"I am afraid I have bad news Commander. The ambush was a failure for the mereflow somehow knew we were coming after them. Most of those that went in, did not leave,"_ he told Chakotay.

"I don't understand. How did they know? Where's the captain? I'd like her take on this," Chakotay demanded.

Tyrex paused for a moment, uncertain how the response was going to be from the crew.

_"You don't understand Commander. Your captain was one of the ones who did not come out,"_ Tyrex replied.

TBC…


	10. And Into the Fire

"You are telling me that Captain Janeway is dead?" Chakotay wanted to confirm.

_"Ransor was the only one out of her group to return alive. He reported that your captain and Lieutenant Tuvok were knocked out and dragged away. For whatever reason, he was allowed to return to deliver the news to us. We can only assume they and the others are dead,_" Tyrex explained.

Although he wasn't showing it, Chakotay was fuming inside. He carefully paced the bridge, hesitant about what to think next.

"But you haven't found the bodies yet? There is still a chance they might be alive?" he questioned.

_"There might be but extremely slim for the bodies are never found. Many have come to believe that they are eaten alive,"_ Tyrex replied.

Chakotay eyed the chancellor, watching every movement the Rysarian made. Something now made the commander slightly uneasy.

"I'd like to talk to the survivors myself, if that's all right. I'd like to hear what they have to say," Chakotay told him.

Tyrex nodded before his face disappeared completely. Chakotay breathed, knowing that once news of the captain's apparent death got out to the rest of the crew, it would be disaster. Everyone on the bridge turned in his direction. He knew exactly what was on everyone's mind.

"We'll have to see if there's any chance we can bring our people back home. If there's none, then we may have to leave without them. Is that understood?" Chakotay told them.

Slowly, the group nodded before returning their attentions back to their stations, uncertain what the near future was going to bring. Chakotay gave a deep breath, his mind going back to the staff meeting a mere few days earlier.

'_Neelix was right. This planet just might be the end of us,'_ he thought.

00000

The first thing Harry noticed was the warmth from the sun beaming down on him. He took a deep breathe, blinking his eyes a few times before realizing there was something beside him. As he took notice of Ekaterina curled up beside him, he remembered the events from the night before and smiled.

"Good morning Sleepyhead," she whispered.

Harry was slightly startled but gave a small laugh. He drew her closer and took in the scents that she gave off.

"How did you sleep?" she wondered.

"Like I was in heaven," he murmured.

He sat up in the bed and Ekaterina followed suit, pulling the blankets over her body.

"There is a lot more where that came from," she said in a soft voice.

She leaned in to kiss him and he quickly accepted. She slowly moved her hand down his body and held him. Harry gently broke the kiss, his breathing quickening under her ministrations. Several long moments went by and Harry was so engrossed in the sensations he felt that he barely noticed as Ekaterina removed her hand and crawled over him. He groaned as he felt the sensations rise within him again. He was held in a state of euphoria before subsiding a bit. Ekaterina fell back to the bed beside the ensign and began to make circles on his chest. Harry gazed into her eyes, a smile sitting on his face.

"Ekaterina Matol, you are mine," he whispered to her.

"I would want nothing more than to stay here with you right now but I have to make breakfast. Not only that, I expect Lieutenant Paris to arrive anytime now," she told him, a giggle laced within her voice.

She climbed out of bed and grabbed her robe from its position by her feet. She headed for the kitchen, giving Harry Kim one last look at the doorway. He leaned his head back against the wall, knowing the lecture he was going to get from both the captain and doctor if they ever found out what he had done.

Harry's mind barely registered the knocking on the door. He gazed towards the door once he heard Ekaterina ask him to answer it. He climbed out, pulling on his pants and shirt before heading to answer the door. He opened it to reveal his best friend, a solemn look on his face.

"Hi Harry. May I come in?" he asked.

"Of-of course, Tom, we were expecting you," Harry replied.

He gestured for him to come in. Tom made his way inside and found a nearby chair. Sitting down, he placed a hand over his mouth. The warm feeling that Harry was so recently feeling dropped to almost nothing as he watched his friend.

"Tom, what's wrong?" demanded Harry.

Tom glanced back at Harry, knowing what was going to happen next.

"Harry, the captain's dead," Tom finally told him.

00000

The pain which seared through her brain was unlike anything else she had ever felt. She groaned, placing a hand on her temple as she rose to a sitting position. When she finally opened her eyes, she was greeted with a familiar sight.

"You," she cursed.

The three mereflow watched the woman as she climbed to her feet. They snarled at her and snapped their teeth.

"I don't know how you found us so quickly but you're going to pay for this," she hissed.

The creatures carefully stepped forward, hoping to have a decent meal when a loud growl came from behind them. They turned and backed away, tails between their legs as the mereflow stepped forward. The being carefully watched the woman in front of him, almost giving a smile at the typical reactions he had come to expect.

"Welcome, Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship _Voyager_. I have been eager to meet you," the mereflow told her.

Janeway recoiled at the response. She took a few steps back and gazed around the area. It was a clearing with a few rock faces with caves nestled within them. A few dozen mereflow were milling around, some were eating, others sleeping.

"You actually do talk? Who are you? What is this place?" demanded the captain.

"I am Rosar, second-in-command of this pack. This is our home, Captain and you are our guest, at least for the time being. Please come with me," the creature explained.

Janeway cautiously moved forward, past the mereflow who were about to her mere moments before. She walked beside the mereflow as they headed for the middle of the clearing.

"So you are more than just the animals that the Rysarians told us about? Why did you bring me here? Where are my crewmembers?" Janeway barraged him.

"So many questions! I've never seen such a curious species! The Rysarians know nothing about us for a reason. If they did, they would certainly hunt us down and kill us all without any remorse. They have become scared of us and that makes them more easy to deal with. Your crewmembers are safe for now. We're waiting for Tenru to return in order to decide what to do with your kind. He had some business to deal with first," Rosar explained.

Janeway stopped in her tracks and Rosar quickly noticed. He turned his head enough to look at her. The captain couldn't believe what she was hearing from the mereflow.

"You see Captain, once we've captured someone, there's no turning back. You either work for us or you end up in our stomachs. It's that simple. We are capable of making our own choices Captain Janeway but we have adopted a drastically different way than you or the Rysarians in order to survive. That's something you're going to have to accept," the mereflow replied.

Janeway was fuming as she continued to follow the mereflow across the camp. The two walked into one of the caves where they came across Tuvok, along with several other members of the crew, in a crudely made cell.

"Tuvok!" Janeway yelled.

She hurried over to him as Rosar watched on. The Vulcan stepped up to the bars and stood tall.

"How are you, Tuvok?" whispered the captain.

"I am fine, Captain. It appears that almost all the Rysarians who came with us are dead. Almost all the crew who came with is in here," Tuvok replied.

Janeway turned back to Rosar, a snarl written on her face. She stormed up to his towering form. He barely reacted to her presence until she slapped him across the face. Even then, a smile still crossed his face and he laughed.

"You amuse me Captain! Don't think we didn't know you were coming and what your intentions were. We were informed of your impending arrival and your intent to capture one of us! We could allow not that for we knew what would happen! We know you have technology that could aid you in discovering our secrets! We could not allow this! Like you, we have to look out for our own. Now if you'll excuse me, I have something to attend to," Rosar explained.

The mereflow gave a deep breathe before heading out of the cave, leaving a stunnd group behind.

"I'll find a way to get you out of here. I promise," she whispered.

00000

"What? No, that can't be right! The captain's still alive, I just saw her this morning!" Harry protested.

"You must have been dreaming Harry. She didn't even know you were here last night. Besides, they departed right before sunrise and she never came back. Neither did Tuvok along with almost everyone who went out," Tom replied.

Harry climbed to his feet, a hand over his mouth and in total disbelief over what he was hearing. He limped back and forth a few times before returning his stare back to his friend.

"Well…what is the plan then? We've got to go after them!" Harry wondered.

Tom shook his head as he stood up beside him. Even he was uncertain how things were going to turn out.

"Chakotay's talking with the ones who managed to make it out but it looks like we may have to leave them behind. He may choose to stick to the original plan and stay until you've been cleared by both our doctor and theirs. We'll have to wait and see," he finally said.

As Tom watched his friend, he grew worried as his friend began to sway a bit. He hurried to his feet and placed his hands on Harry's shoulders before he fell over. The ensign sat back onto a nearby couch, staring in total disbelief at his friend.

"This is my fault. They wouldn't have gone in those stupid woods if it wasn't for me!" Harry moaned.

"Harry, it's no one's fault. It just happened. You just concentrate on recovering right now. We'll find them, don't you worry," Tom retorted.

Harry weakly nodded, even though his hopes they would be found were extremely slim. Neither noticed Ekaterina standing in the doorway, a plate of food in her hands. She quickly took it back to the kitchen, allowing the two friends some more time alone.

00000

"…and then I shot at it. It was a direct hit to the side. Needless to say, that one isn't going to be too much of a threat anymore," B'Elanna explained.

Chakotay raised his eyebrows a bit and wondered whether or not he should be surprised. He knew what the Klingon in her was like.

"But you did bear in mind what the captain had wanted for this mission?" he wanted to confirm.

"Yes, I did remember that she wanted to capture one alive but that was before _they_ ambushed _us_. If you recall, it _was_ supposed to be the other way around," B'Elanna growled.

Chakotay couldn't help but give a small smile. Inside, his stomach was doing somersaults. The circumstances surrounding his 'promotion' unnerved him slightly. Out of the 42 people who stepped into the forest, only six walked out.

"So what are we going to do now? Obviously, we can't go back in there. They'll know we're there the moment we step in there. They knew, Chakotay. They knew we were coming. We were attacked at the exact same time and the trick is finding out how they found out. Many Rysarians consider them to be nothing more than animals. It didn't look like that to me. Something about their coordination nags at my mind," B'Elanna mused.

"I have no idea B'Elanna but after this morning's incident and the fact our sensors can't penetrate far into those woods, our options are severely limited," Chakotay sighed.

B'Elanna thought for a moment, running through the possibilities in her head. She couldn't think of much for a theory before one finally hit her.

"What if... Chancellor Tyrex was wrong and Ransor's theory was right?" she finally posed.

Chakotay turned his attention back to his friend, a bit uncertain what she was talking about. She leaned in closer, as if wanting to keep it between them.

"What if – these mereflow indeed have humanoid forms? It would explain a lot. One of the Rysarians involved could have been one and informed the others when he was coming and where," she offered.

"That is a plausible theory but the one problem that arises is trying to prove they indeed have humanoid forms and if they do, who was our leak?" Chakotay posed.

TBC…


	11. Unsettling Inquiries

I apologize for the delay.

00000

Janeway carefully made her way around the camp, watching each and every mereflow she came across. Every one was eyeing her, as if waiting for the right time to drag her off into the forest. The captain could almost feel the tension swirling around the air as she walked past a small cave which housed Rosar and several others sitting around him. Janeway made her way inside to find a mereflow laying on the ground, gasping for air. The injuries on the creature's side made Janeway inhale for she recognized the type of burn that was inflicted.

"This is thanks to your Klingon friend. My comrade will not live much longer. I am uncertain what this will mean in the immediate future," Rosar explained.

"Rosar, you must realize that you attacked us first. It's your actions that would be considered an act of war, not ours," Janeway protested.

The mereflow snickered as he turned to face the much smaller human, a grin crossing his face.

"It's always our fault, isn't it? We are simply trying to survive and the Rysarians have made us out to be monsters. Our reputation had traveled far and wide across this system. You do not realize how much this affects us," Rosar told her.

Janeway eyed his every move, wondering how much was indeed the truth. Without a reply, Rosar turned back to his injured comrade and drooped his head slightly once she took her last breath. He snorted as he stood up and proceeded to leave. Janeway quickly followed him and tried to keep up.

"Rosar, please! I could try to understand if you would only tell me more," Janeway called out to him.

"I have said too much already. Once my superior has returned tonight, he will decide what to do with you. If you are chosen to work for us, which I honestly believe will happen, then you will understand everything," Rosar explained.

He walked away, leaving a bewildered Captain Janeway behind.

00000

Harry ran his hand through his hair, unsure how to take the recent news about the captain and several other crew mates. Tom watched him with a careful eye as Ekaterina silently walked up to them with a plate of food. She set it down next to the table and turned to the newcomer.

"Can I offer you anything to eat, Lieutenant Paris?" she inquired.

"No thanks, I'm not really hungry actually," he replied.

The familiar chirp of the combadge filled their ears. Ekaterina took this a sign to leave and she quickly made her way out of the room as Tom answered it.

"_Where are you Lieutenant? B'Elanna and I are at the doctors and they have said you left for a walk yesterday and never came back with their patient," _came an irritated Chakotay.

"Um, sorry about that. We're over at Ekaterina's house right now. When we went out, Ensign Kim became very fatigued and could not make the return trip," Tom replied.

"_I need the two of you to get back here. The doctor's would like to check Ensign Kim and there's a few things we need to discuss. Chakotay out," _he ordered.

Tom looked over to his friend and gave a weak smile. Harry barely managed to smile in response. Tom soon called over to Ekaterina, who quickly returned and the trio slowly headed out the door.

00000

Janeway made her way back to the cave which housed her crewmates. Tuvok noticed her arrival and stepped up to the bars.

"Anything yet, Captain?" he wondered.

"I'm afraid not though I find these mereflow are quite curious. They have their secrets that they seem willing to share but not unless the this alpha male says we're worthy enough, who we're not going to meet until tonight," Janeway replied.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow, as if indicating his curiosity as well. He waited as Janeway began to pace a bit.

"I did some searching of the camp. All I've seen besides the countless mereflow has been the endless sea of trees. Whatever sort of technology that's masking their camp must be well hidden. I feel like the only plan is that I try to make a diversion and escape. Hopefully, I'll be able to make my way back to civilization and bring back reinforcements before they decide to eat all of you," she told them.

Tuvok nodded in agreement. The two glanced back a the few others within the cave walls.

"I suspect you will try and find a way to get everyone out of here alive, Captain," he mused.

"Yes, I am. No one is doing to die at the hands of these creatures or serve them in any capacity," she replied.

"Then I wish you good luck...and try not to get yourself killed in the process," Tuvok advised her.

Janeway nodded before she quickly left the cave.

00000

Chakotay was quietly speaking with the doctor when the trio finally walked inside. Ekaterina helped Harry to a waiting doctor as Tom moved closer to both B'Elanna and Chakotay.

"So what's the plan?" he asked.

Tom watched as the two gave each other a quick glance. B'Elanna motioned for him to follow them into the next room and subsequently shut the door.

"We believe Ransor might be correct in his theory about the mereflow," Chakotay finally told him.

"Which one exactly again? I seem to recall that he had several," the lieutenant wanted to confirm.

"The one where he swears that the creatures have a humanoid form. It's the most logical explanation we have right now. Someone _had _to have told them we were coming and it makes the most sense if one of the Rysarians involved in the ambush was a mereflow in disguise. All they simply had to do was warn the others where and when we were going to be," B'Elanna explained.

Tom placed a hand up to his chin, his thoughts churning at the idea. He wasn't too certain what to make of it, the worry for his friend still at the back of his mind.

"Right now, it's the only theory we have and our two prime suspects are Tyrex and Ransor. They were the two most intimately involved with this project," B'Elanna's voice filled his ears.

"I'd like the two of you to go see Ransor. See what he has to say about the situation. I'd like to talk to the chancellor myself," Chakotay ordered them.

The two nodded before they left the building.

00000

Harry watched the doctors as they went about their business, with Ekaterina staying beside him with each passing moment. He squeezed her hand, not wanting to let go. She began to stroke the back of his hand in an effort to calm him down.

"I wish I could bring them back Harry but no one who has disappeared into the forest has lived to tell about it. Your friend, Ransor and the others were extremely lucky," she tried to assure him.

"I feel responsible since they did that for my benefit but for some strange reason, I keep thinking that Captain Janeway, Tuvok and the other members of my crew are still alive. Does that sound strange?" he wondered.

"Nothing sounds strange when you have faith. I hope that whatever happens, everything will turn out fine," she whispered.

Harry gave her a small smile, which she more than returned.

00000

Chakotay walked up to the chancellor's office. He quickly opened the door to find Tyrex sitting at his desk with a group of Rysarians circling him. He nodded to them and they immediately stood up and began to mill out of the building.

"Yes, Commander Chakotay. It is very unfortunate what happened to your captain and crewmates. Needless to say, I can't say I didn't warn them about the dangers," Tyrex told him.

"At least we tried something that your people have either never done or stopped trying to do a long time ago: figure out the truth," Chakotay retorted.

Tyrex gave a deep breath as he began to circle around the commander. Chakotay watched his every step, hoping that the Rysarian would give any indication of a dual identity. So far, he was thoroughly disappointed.

"We have had many visitors here, Commander. Not as many of late, but most of them have disappeared into those woods along with many of my own people. We have tried many times to conclusively prove the existence of these creatures but to no avail," Tyrex explained.

"Then what do you propose we do about our crewmates?" pondered Chakotay.

He paced the room a few times, a hand up to his chin, wondering how to tell Chakotay what he was feeling. Tyrex finally stopped to face the commander, who was impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Leave them. It would be better for all of you just to simply head back to your ship and continue on your journey for you will never be able to find them. The resulting search would lead to more people being left for dead. I don't think you want that," Tyrex coldly replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do."

Chakotay wanted to protest but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. After several long seconds, he managed to move his feet towards the door and headed outside.

00000

B'Elanna and Tom carefully made their way to Ransor's home. The half-Klingon gently knocked on the door. The two heard the sound of scrambling before a rush of feet came towards the door. It opened to reveal a frazzled Ransor, who was wide-eyed and gasping for air.

"Tom, B'Elanna, how good to see you again! Come on in!" he told them.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything. You seem to be in such rush," Tom commented.

The Rysarian flashed the two a quick smile as he ran about his home. B'Elanna quickly noticed that his house was in complete disarray. She nudged Tom as she scanned the room.

"Something's wrong here. It wasn't this messy earlier," she whispered.

Tom didn't respond as he continued to watch Ransor move about the room.

"What would you like? I don't have much time to talk," he told them.

"We were hoping you could give your opinion on what happened in the forest," B'Elanna cautiously said.

Ransor couldn't help but give a small laugh as he stepped up to them. He stood tall, giving a small shake of his head.

"I've already talk to your commander about the situation and it is something I'd rather not talk about again so soon. I thought you would have known what I said. If you were hoping to hear it from me, the you'll be waiting a while," Ransor replied. "Now if you will so kindly leave, I still have some work to do."

B'Elanna began to open her mouth to protest but Tom grasped her arm and began to lead her out of the house. Once outside, she broke free from his grip and a snarl broke onto her face.

"What was that all about?" she demanded.

"It's obvious those things got to him. Either that or he's afraid how far we'll pry and then find out the truth. The only thing we can do right now is wait," Tom replied.

B'Elanna snorted as she gave once last glance at the house before the two left.

00000

Dusk was soon falling on the city and just about everyone was exhausted. Chakotay and, B'Elanna sat at one of the tables within the hospital. Tom walked into the room with a cup in hand.

"Harry's fine but still needs his rest. Ekaterina just left and she'll be back in the morning to see how he's doing," he said.

Sitting down, he eyed the half-Klingon, who was visibly upset. Chakotay watched her as well, hoping to stop a major outburst before it went far.

"We got nothing really useful out of our prime suspects," B'Elanna sighed.

"True, they told us nothing really beneficial but I find their actions a bit troubling. Both of them wanted us to leave immediately and Tyrex even warned us to not go searching for them. In fact, he suggested we leave as soon as possible," Chakotay piped up.

Tom placed a hand up to his chin, contemplating any ides he could conjure up. He glanced towards his commanding officer and narrowed his eyes, believing he knew what Chakotay was thinking.

"Are you going to suggest that we should go back in there?" Tom wanted to confirm.

"There's something in there, Tom, something that _someone _doesn't want us to find out. Whether it be Tyrex or Ransor that's the leak, we have to find out what it is and hopefully get our crewmembers back," Chakotay explained.

"As long as we don't come across any mereflow along the way. The question is: how do we get in there without letting anyone suspect anything?" interjected B'Elanna.

Chakotay nodded, as his mind drifted back to the events that happened earlier. He only hoped that Captain Janeway and the others could be found.

00000

Harry slept soundly in the bed, the gentle breeze from the window swirling the curtains around. He felt completely as ease with himself as he turned away from the door. That changed when darkness began to enter his dreams.

"No," he murmured.

He found himself alone in the woods, with the trees completely covering the sky from view. He found himself running but at the same time, it didn't feel like he was doing the running and he was only tagging along for the ride. He maneuvered around the tangled trees until he came to a clearing with a mereflow sitting in the middle of it. It turned around and stared at him, as if it were waiting for him. The creature soon lunged for him, startling the ensign. Harry awoke with a jolt, the sweat pouring down his face. He carefully climbed to his feet and unsteadily walked over to the basin sitting nearby. He grabbed the cloth and wiped down his face but he found he was unable to shake off the strange feeling settling in his stomach.

"What's going on with me?" he hoarsely whispered.

When he finally decided to lift his head and stare into the mirror, Ensign Harry Kim was horrified with what he saw. With a shaking hand, he brushed his fingers through his hair. The strange feeling with his gut slowly became an excruciating pain and it rapidly traveled to his whole body. He backed away from the mirror, his mind trying to wrap around everything.

"What the..?" he began.

A guttural growl started to emit from the depths of his stomach as he stumbled back a few steps. He reached for the mirror and threw it to the ground. He clumsily stepped back to the bed, his legs not wanting to carry him upright anymore. After several long moments, he finally collapsed to his knees beside the bed.

"No, this can't be happening!" he cried out.

The pain tore through his body, as if his own skin was tearing apart. With his arms around himself, growling emitted from his mouth. Harry could feel his body changing somehow, as he finally let out a bloodcurdling scream.

00000

The trio glanced up once they heard the scream. Tom was to his feet faster than Chakotay ever saw a person move. Tom ran for the room that housed his best friend, with the commander and chief engineer close behind.

"Harry!" Tom cried out as he slammed open the door.

The sight that beheld him made him recoil. A look of horror crossed Tom's face as Chakotay and B'Elanna came up behind him.

"Oh my god," whispered Chakotay under his breath.

Before the trio, were two massive creatures hovering beside a hole in the wall. One of them was baring its teeth at them, the growling escaping from its mouth. The other slinked out of the building before the other quickly followed. Without thinking, Tom pulled out a phaser and Chakotay lunged for him. The commander pulled down the lieutenant's arm but not before a shot rang out towards the two creatures. It landed on the ground between them and he began to run after them.

"I swear, I'll get you for this!" he roared at them.

"Tom!" Chakotay and B'Elanna cried out in unison.

They followed their friend several blocks until Lieutenant Tom Paris could no longer run. He gave one last shot before simply standing in the middle of the street, staring at the trees that had started to grow over the rooftoops in the distance. Shouts were soon heard around the three and all the way to the forest.

"Tom, there's nothing you can do. They have him and wherever they have taken him, we're not going to be able to find him either," Chakotay sighed.

The anger within Tom's eyes was clearly evident as he stared at his commanding officer. He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists and Chakotay gulped. He knew how long ago the mereflow messed with the wrong friend. Now, he realized how much trouble they would be in if Tom ever got a hold of them.

TBC…


	12. Leader Meeting Leader

"Why did you stop me Chakotay? I had a clear shot to kill those monsters once and for all!" Tom demanded

"Killing them wouldn't have solved our problem. We still need to find Captain and the others too. Adding Harry to that list is…regrettable," Chakotay said.

B'Elanna sat at the table with him as they watched their crewmember pace back and forth in front of them. Several seconds went by until Tom slammed his hands down in front of the two.

"What the hell are we waiting for? Let's go get him!" he cried out.

"Tom, I realize you're upset but we can't just go running off into unknown territory without a plan. For all we know, he could be dead by now," Chakotay tried to explain.

"If they wanted him dead, we would have been able to tell but there was no blood. Signs of a struggle yes, but no blood whatsoever indicating signs claws or teeth bared. So…they either took him away or he managed to flee. I'm saying the former because they would have gone after him immediately if he did manage to escape. They were throwing this back in our faces for surviving their attack several days ago," Tom explained to them.

Chakotay climbed to his feet, trying to figure out something they could do for yet another missing officer. He carefully eyed Tom Paris, who folded his arms and continued to fidget.

"Lieutenant Paris, we will get everyone back - alive and well. Just don't make any rash decisions," Chakotay warned him.

"What makes you think I'd do something like that now?" Tom wondered.

"I know you well enough, Lieutenant. Don't think you're the only one with good friends missing in action. You're not to make any decisions regarding this matter without passing it by me first. Is that understood?" Chakotay ordered.

Tom gulped as the eyes of his superior bore into him. Fighting back a protest, Tom finally gulped before giving a small exhale.

"Yes, sir," he managed to force out the words.

Chakotay carefully eyed the lieutenant as he plopped down in the seat beside B'Elanna. The first officer gazed out the gaping wall as two doctors rushed through the door to be greeted by the mess.

00000

Janeway was growing weary of waiting. She had taken notice of when nightfall was settling onto the planet and when the alpha never showed, she was growing severely disappointed. Inwardly, she was wondering if there was even an alpha to begin with. Rosar silently walked over to her and sat down.

"He will be here, Captain. We have learned that he can sometimes get delayed before he can return to us," Rosar explained.

"That's not giving me much comfort right now. You attacked a member of my crew, leaving him hanging onto life by a thread and now you have myself and several other members of my crew captive, potentially your next meal," Janeway countered.

Rosar gave a smile once other mereflow began to mutter amongst themselves. He climbed to his feet and began to push Janeway with his nose. Stumbling forward, she was startled by the actions.

"You have your questions, Captain, now's your chance to ask them. Our alpha has returned," he smirked.

Janeway stared in the direction of the mereflow to find two others making their way into the campsite. She heard shouts of both questions and a name, presumably belonging to the leader. The creatures walked through the crowd until the reached the second-in-command and human captain. Janeway noticed the one hovering behind him was jet-black in colour and it calmly sat down as the other continued to move forward. He carefully eyed the captain before grinning.

"You are the feisty one, Captain Kathryn Janeway. You will make a fine addition to our small pack," the mereflow told her.

Janeway was aghast with what she heard. With the surprise evident in her face, the mereflow's grin widened.

"_You're_ the alpha male of this pack?" Janeway protested.

"Why yes, I am. You've met Rosar, my second-in-command. I was fully expecting such a response from you. I usually do with all the newcomers," Tenru commented.

Janeway narrowed her eyes as Tenru motioned for her and the two mereflow to follow. They walked into the cave that housed the others. Tuvok arose from his seat and walked over to the bars.

"During my initial observation, I pretty well made my decision regarding you and your crew who are with us. Just about all of you will live to serve us. We are currently trying to round up the rest of your crew for further assimilation," Tenru replied.

Janeway blanched once she heard the word _assimilation_.

"You sound no better than the Borg," she whispered.

The mereflow quickly picked up on the name. Tenru stepped up to the captain, the growling deep within his stomach so much that Janeway had butterflies in her own.

"We are not like them whatsoever Captain Janeway. The Borg desire to gather power, we only wish to survive. In addition, you do not realize what we have done for this planet concerning the Borg. If it weren't for us, these people would have been assimilated a long, long time ago," he retorted.

Janeway shut her mouth as she watched the alpha turned towards Rosar. Tenru nodded at the second-in-command and they silently walked out of the cave. Janeway turned to find the third, black mereflow still hovering around the cage a bit. With only growls emitting from its mouth, it could only give the captain and the others a sad look before he began to skulk out of the cave.

"Wait!" Janeway cried out.

She quickly followed him outside and towards another one of the caves. With a couple of torches illuminating the ground, Janeway carefully watched the mereflow.

"What is it about you? Do you know what's going to happen to us? Do you not wish this fate upon us?" Janeway quietly asked.

The mereflow eyed the captain as she gingerly stepped forward with an outstretched arm. The creature allowed her to gently stroke his nose and she glanced into his face. She narrowed her own, becoming slightly confused.

"Your eyes…" she started.

The mereflow jerked his nose away and moved a few feet from the captain, neither hearing the faint footsteps at the mouth of the cave.

"You've just met Mikah, Captain. He is the newest member of our clan. He recently joined us from another clan and will be permanently staying with us. He is relatively young for our species but he has proven himself worthy already," Tenru called out.

"He's obviously terrified. What the hell have you done to him?" demanded the captain.

"We have done nothing to him. This is a normal reaction with the younger ones. Now if you'll excuse us Captain, we have some work to do. Mikah, come with us," came the reply.

The captain growled as Mikah walked out of the cave, head slunched over. He gave one last look at the captain, leaving her behind with more questions than answers.

00000

"How could this be? The mereflow have never dared come this far into the city before!" the doctor protested.

The trio was a bit surprised by the statement. B'Elanna stepped forward, both the curiosity and anger each clearly written on her face.

"What exactly are we supposed to believe about these creatures? So far, the mereflow have contradicted everything your people have told us about them. They've attacked our people several times and performed feats they were supposedly incapable of doing," she protested.

The doctors quickly stole a glance from each other, uncertain how to respond to the inquiry. Before either could find anything to say, an upset Chancellor Tyrex rushed into the room. His breath was taken away once he saw the mess.

"I dared not believe it but it is true. A few of the citizens said they spotted two mereflow running for the trees but I thought it could not be true," he gasped.

Chakotay crossed his arms, a stern look on his face. He strode up to the chancellor, not caring what happened now.

"Do you know what this means Tyrex? It means that one or more citizens of your fair town are mereflow in disguise. How else do you propose they managed to make it all the way here without being spotted sooner? This building is not exactly the closet structure to where those creatures reside. As much as you don't want to believe it, someone must have been betraying you this whole time," Chakotay told him.

The chancellor's mouth curled into a snarl, not wanting to believe the commander. He balled his hand into a fist and aimed to punch him in the face. Chakotay reacted and caught the man's wrist.

"That won't help any of us. If you and the others cooperate with us, then this will go down a lot more smoothly," Chakotay warned him.

"Am I a suspect now? I don't believe this! Why would I be a suspect?" demanded Tyrex, jerking his arm away.

"You were one of the very few Rysarians who had an in-depth knowledge of the ambush. The Rysarians who went with them knew what they were up against, they just didn't know their exact entry coordinates until the very last minute," Chakotay replied. "You tell me that's not at least a little suspicious."

Tyrex growled as he, Chakotay and B'Elanna left the room. Tom remained behind and stared at the hole in the wall. He only hoped that he could find his friend before anything seriously happened. As he continued to stare, something caught his attention and he narrowed his eyes. Kneeling down, he picked up the small piece of cloth laying near the wall.

"It can't be," he whispered.

00000

Janeway watched as the small group of mereflow danced around the campfire, as if celebrating. Others were talking nearby in low voices and she took notice that both Tenru and Rosar were part of the discussions. The one Tenru called Mikah was laying near one of the nearby caves, head sitting on his paws. She walked over to him and knelt down. The first thing she noticed was that the mereflow seemed to be quite comfortable and yet not quite in her presence, something she was determined to know why

"What is it about me? The others? Why do I feel like should know you?" she whispered.

The creature only responded with quiet growls and whimpers. After a few moments, he finally climbed to his feet and began to walk away. She tried to follow him only to receive a snap of the jaws. Janeway's heart went out to the mereflow as she watched him walk out into the forest.

'_What is it about him?' _she thought.

Her attention shifted back to the others, who were occasionally glancing over in her direction. None appeared to notice that their newest one had wandered off. Janeway watched as the others began to break off from their respective groups and finally began to settle down. Tenru made his way over to Captain Janeway, a smile on his face.

"Captain, have you seen Mikah? I need to talk to him," he wondered.

"I have but I have no idea where he went. I was trying to communicate with him to no avail. Then he got up and skulked off into the forest," Janeway replied.

"No, it's too soon for him to do that," the creature whispered.

Worry crossed the mereflow's face as he ran over to Rosar. After a few quick moments of talking, it was if the camp started to go into an uproar. Mereflow scurried about, a few rushing out into the forest. Janeway was baffled before getting her wits together and ran over to the fire. Pulling a long stick from the nearby woodpile, she shoved into the fire. It caught ablaze and she made her way to the bushes sitting close by. She pushed the stick forward and the leaves began to burn. Dropping it completely, she ran past the ever rising flames.

"There's a fire loose! We've got to put it out!" a mereflow cried out.

As several mereflow rushed to put out the flames, Janeway made her way into the forest. Running non-stop, she hoped to head into in the direction that Mikah had gone into. Suddenly, Tenru glanced from side to side, growling once he realized what was happening.

"Janeway, you will pay for this!" he roared.

Barely hearing him, the captain continued on her way and didn't look back once. She tried to quickly jump over the gnarled tree roots but soon found herself occasionally tripping over them . She could hear the movement of the mereflow running in the distance. Whether or not they were after her, she wasn't certain. The only thought on her mind was escape.

After several long minutes, Janeway stopped and leaned against a tree. Gasping for air, she begun to realize the aches that were now plaguing her body. Sitting down, she took notice of the air around her was starting to lighten up, indicating the sun was on its way.

"It's dawn already? I lost track of the time," she whispered.

Before she could figure out where to go next, a snap of a nearby branch caught her attention. Jerking her head to the direction of the noise, she gingerly climbed to her feet as a scream filled the air. As she moved closer, the screaming slowly turned into a mixture of sobbing and gasping. As she climbed over a mound of earth, Captain Janeway was shocked by the sight of a man kneeling beside a large tree root. Nudging her way forward, she didn't want to startle him by moving too fast. It wasn't until she moved closer that she realized that the man had no clothes on. The man obviously didn't hear her coming until she placed a hand on his shoulder. He quickly grasped her uniform by the collar, twirling his head around to stare at her, wild-eyed. Once he realized who it was, he slowly released his grasp.

"C-captain?" he croaked out.

"Ensign Kim?" she questioned.

TBC…


	13. Unexpected Meetings

"C-captain, you have to get - to get out of here. Those things…" he started.

"Ensign, calm down. I'm going to get you out of here and get you some medical attention," Janeway calmly told him.

His stare gazed out into the forest and she could sense that he was in great distress. What from, she wasn't certain yet. Placing a hand on his cheek, she turned his face to look at him and she could see the terror in his eyes.

"What's happened to you, Ensign? You seem different," she demanded.

Harry gulped, trying to find his voice. He tried to climb to his feet but his entire body screamed and he fell back to his knees. The sweat poured down his face as he closed his eyes. The captain didn't stray far, giving a few more moments until his stomach decided to empty itself. Placing a hand on his back, she watched as his entire body shook with the sudden movements. Harry Kim placed a shaking hand over his mouth, in complete embarrassment.

"Ensign, what's going on?" she questioned.

"Captain, you have to get out of here. Leave me behind. I'll only slow you down," he immediately told her.

"Last time I checked, I was the one giving the orders, not the other way around. I'm going to get you out of here whether you like it or not. Now let's get you up," Janeway replied.

She carefully placed his arm around her neck and grasped him around his waist, gradually pulling him to his feet. It was only then that the ensign became more aware of his condition and blushed a dozen shades of red.

"C-captain, I am so sorry," he apologized.

"Don't worry about it Ensign. I know there's got to be a good reason behind this and mark my words, if those mereflow have hurt you again in any way, they are going to pay dearly," the captain replied.

The two slowly began their journey to the outskirts of the forest, hoping they wouldn't get caught along the way. Unbeknownst to them, a set of eyes were carefully watching their every move.

00000

Tom slowly and deeply breathed as he stared at the sunrise. His friend had only been gone one night but it already felt like a lifetime.

"What have we gotten ourselves into this time? The captain, Tuvok, Harry, they're all gone," muttered Tom.

The lieutenant gazed around the area. The town looked so peaceful that one would never think in a million years that it was terrorized by such a dangerous foe. His stare soon settled on the temple that Ekaterina wanted to show both him and Harry. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Giving another sigh, he slowly turned and began to make his way back to Chakotay and B'Elanna when he noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned back around to find someone moving about just inside the tree line. Once the person moved out into the open to look around the area, he was shocked. He narrowed his eyes, a bit uncertain with what he was seeing.

"Captain Janeway?" he asked.

He ran over to her and she noticed him almost immediately. She could tell he was extremely surprised with her sudden appearance.

"How did you…?" he started.

"No time to explain Lieutenant. We need to get back to the ship and talk to Chakotay. I have information that he will want to hear," she replied.

Suddenly, Janeway placed a hand on her head and closed her eyes. Tom placed a hand on her shoulder, wondering if everything was fine.

"Maybe we should get you to Sickbay," a worried Tom told her.

Janeway shook her head before pointing back over her shoulder. It was then that Tom noticed the other figure curled up on the ground and he stepped closer to see who it was. Janeway moved with him to the figure. Tom was absolutely shocked once he saw who it was and the condition he was in.

"My god, Harry," breathed Tom.

"I'll explain later," she replied before tapping her combadge. "Janeway to _Voyager_,"

"Captain, is that you?" came a startled female voice.

"Yes, it is me. Three to beam directly to Sickbay," she replied.

The trio soon felt the sensations of the being transported and they disappeared into thin air.

00000

The three materialized on the floor and Tom almost immediately grabbed a nearby blanket, covering his friend. Janeway quickly glanced around before leaning against one of the bio-beds.

"Computer, activate the EMH," she finally said.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," the Doctor requested as soon as he came online.

He looked around before coming face-to-face with the captain. He hurried up to her, a worried look on his face and grabbing a tricorder along the way.

"Captain, what has happened to you?" he demanded.

"I'll be fine. It's Harry you should be worried about," she told him.

Her stare allowed him to take notice of the stricken ensign on the floor. Aiming the tricorder towards him, he was absolutely shocked by the results.

"He's in severe danger. Several of his vitals are through the roof: BP, heart rate, respiration. The numerous chemical imbalances are unbelievable. What the hell happened to him this time? He appeared fine the last time I saw him," the doctor demanded.

"I wish I knew for certain, Doctor. I simply found him in the forest while I was trying to get out of there," Janeway sighed.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, lowering her head a bit. The Doctor warily kept an eye on her as he placed a hypospray on the ensign's neck to sedate him. After a few short moments, Harry fell into a restless sleep.

"Captain, perhaps you should lie down," he suggested.

"No, I have to get in contact with Chakotay. I have information that could be useful," she protested.

"I'm certain it could wait a few hours. You look like you could use some rest. Besides, I need to give you a full examination after I've stabilized Ensign Kim," came the reply.

The captain opened her mouth to protest but she knew the look on the doctor's face. She knew she couldn't weasel herself out of an examination, but she knew she could try and postpone it as long as possible.

"I will be back, Doctor but I do have to let the others know what we're up against. I will be back," she replied before turning to Tom. "Lieutenant, needless to say, you can stay here and keep an eye over Harry."

Tom nodded before Janeway stepped out of the room, barely giving the Doctor any chance to protest. He turned back to Tom, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

00000

Chakotay and B'Elanna walked down the streets, carefully eying each and every Rysarian they came across. Both hoped they could find the piece they were looking for. Eventually, they came across a familiar face stepping out of her home.

"Advisor Matol," B'Elanna called over to her.

She quickly glanced around before spotting the two. She grinned before hurrying over to them. Her smile disappeared once she saw the grim looks on their faces.

"What's wrong? Has anything terrible happened?" she questioned.

"Ensign Kim was kidnapped from the hospital last night. There's now a gaping hole in the wall where it was smashed in," Chakotay quietly replied.

"On no, that's terrible. What are you going to do now?" Ekaterina gasped.

"We're not certain yet," Chakotay responded.

B'Elanna carefully eyed the Rysarian woman. She couldn't place it but something seemed different about the woman. She narrowed her eyes, never hearing their combadges. Chakotay was the first to respond to the hails.

"Chakotay here. What is it?" he questioned.

"_There's someone on board _Voyager _who's requesting your presence. They say it's urgent_," the crewman told him.

"Fine. Prepare for transport. Two to beam up," Chakotay ordered.

B'Elanna broke out her reverie once she felt the tingling of the transporter beam, leaving behind Ekaterina, who crossed her arms and gave a deep breath. Without saying a word, she began to make her way down the street.

00000

"They're in the ready room," the crewman told the duo.

Chakotay and B'Elanna immediately headed out the door, barely giving the crewman a chance to talk. They hurried down the hall, both curious as to who would want to see them. As they stepped through the door, both were shocked by who they saw.

"Captain Janeway?" B'Elanna protested.

"Yes, it's me Lieutenant. I've managed to escape from those creatures but that's not the point. I know where they are and we need to go back and get the others out before those things decide to force them to work," Janeway told them.

Chakotay walked over to the captain and she leaned on the table. Her dishevelled appearance was troubling him yet he managed to push his feelings aside for the moment.

"Have you seen the Doctor yet?" he finally asked her.

"He wants to give me a full examination and I will grant his request as soon as Ensign Kim is out of danger," she explained.

The commander and chief engineer gave each other a worried look, wondering of the captain was suffering hallucinations from the ordeal. They knew she didn't know about the fate of their crewmen. She noticed their hesitation and was about to press further.

"Captain…Ensign Kim was kidnapped last night. The mereflow lurked into town and snatched him out of the hospital," Chakotay finally told her.

"Really? That helps explain why I found him in the middle of their forest this morning. Any ideas how they got so far into town?" mused the captain.

B'Elanna and Chakotay glanced at each other, a final confirmation before answering the question.

"We believe one or more of the Rysarians are mereflow in disguise. We were hoping either Tyrex or Ransor will slip up somewhere and reveal to us where the rest of the crew are," Chakotay replied.

"I was coming to the humanoid conclusion as well when I had to wait until nightfall to meet their alpha male. That's the one we have to find but you can forget about Tyrex and Ransor. They won't be able to tell you anything," Janeway sighed.

The two were confused with the revelation, greatly wondering why she would dismiss their two leading suspects so quickly. Janeway quickly noticed this and smiled.

"It might be their tradition, possibly a ruse, but technically, this group of mereflow don't have an 'alpha male' as per normal wolf packs that we are familiar with, they have an alpha _female_," Janeway explained.

00000

Tom sat beside his friend, his mind not settling on a single mood. A part of him felt angry for what happened to Harry yet relieved he was alive. Another part of him wanted to kill every single mereflow he came across. He knew he would have to wait for the captain to lead a group to where the creatures were located. He never noticed the Doctor walk up to the bed. The hologram warily eyed the lieutenant.

"Don't worry about him, Mr. Paris. Ensign Kim will be just fine," he hoped to assure him.

"Don't count on it Doctor. Not until we have the others and we get to leave orbit, I'm always going to worry that something else is going to happen to him," Tom responded.

Unexpectedly, Harry began to murmur. Neither could understand what he was saying at first until he bolted upwards, holding himself up partly with his arm.

"Where am I?" he demanded.

The doctor and lieutenant hurried up to Harry, prepared for anything to keep him as still as possible.

"You're in Sickbay, on _Voyager_. Do you remember anything?" the Doctor replied.

It took Harry a moment to collect his thoughts, giving deep breaths as he scanned the room. Then he suddenly tried to push his way off the biobed. Both the doctor and lieutenant took a moment before realizing what was happening and tried to keep him down. The ensign was fighting against them and he was slowly overpowering the two of them.

"Get away from me! I have to get back!" he cried.

"Ensign Kim, what are you talking about?" the Doctor asked.

Both the Doctor and Tom were confused with his ramblings, wondering if was a side effect from everything he had endured so far.

"Go back where? You're safe now Harry. We'll find the others and then we'll get out of here. This entire nightmare will be behind us," Tom protested

"You don't understand! I have to go back to the planet before I kill you!" Harry yelled at them.

TBC…


	14. Interrogations

"Kill me? Harry, I think you're being delusional. You're the last person on this ship who would want to kill me," Tom laughed.

Harry growled as he struggled against the two. He ended up pushing the Doctor away with his arm and shoving Tom back against the nearby wall. It took a moment for Tom to regain his composure.

"I have to get back! She'll be out of her mind with worry!" protested Harry.

The ensign jumped off the bed and began to rush for the door. Tom tried to run after him as the Doctor climbed to his feet.

"Computer, erect a force field around Sickbay," the hologram commanded.

Harry gasped for air as he ran into the force field and was knocked backwards. He slammed his fists against it several times before he finally slumped to his knees in obvious pain. The Doctor rushed over and applied another hypospray, aiding the unconscious Harry down to the floor.

"Lieutenant, I'm going to need your help," he called over to Tom.

He hurried over and aided the Doctor in getting his friend back onto the biobed. The hologram gazed over his patient before turning back to Tom.

"Who is he talking about?" he inquired.

"It must be Ekaterina. She's the only Rysarian woman he's had any real contact with since we arrived, even more so after his experience with the mereflow several days ago," replied Tom.

The Doctor gave a sigh, wondering how things were going to proceed. He thought about the endless possibilities.

00000

Tyrex paced back and forth within his office, a myriad of thoughts. Ekaterina sat in front of his desk, writing down a few things on a paper sitting in front of her. His pacing was soon worrying the advisor.

"What are you worried about Chancellor?" she questioned.

"I fear they may come to the conclusion that I am somehow one of those vile creatures. I can't let that happen. What will happen if this gets out?" he replied.

"Probably a panic, Chancellor. I mean, we've never been able to ever capture one. If it gets out that those creatures are able to walk amongst us undetected, accusations are going to spread like wildfire," Ekaterina replied.

Tyrex sighed as a knock came to the door. Chakotay and B'Elanna gingerly stepped inside. The chancellor carefully eyed the two, wondering what they wanted. Behind them, he noticed a timid Ransor.

"Have you come to judge me? I still have a right to prove my innocence," he protested.

"And indeed you do Chancellor but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to ask a few questions first," a voice called out to him.

Tyrex's eyes widened as Janeway stepped into the building. Even Ekaterina had to stop and gaze with amazement.

"Captain, how did you…?" started the chancellor.

"It doesn't matter how I got away from them, the fact is I did and I plan to go after the remainder of my crew. But first, I'd like to ask you a few questions," Janeway told them.

Ekaterina stood up from her work and gave a step towards the group. Janeway noticed and turned to the Rysarian woman, who quickly inhaled.

"Advisor Matol, there's someone in our Sickbay who would like to see you. I know he would like to see you," the captain said.

"I don't understand, Captain. There is no one who would warrant my attention except for Ensign Kim and as far I've been told, he's missing," Ekaterina questioned.

Janeway gave her a knowing smile and the Rysarian's heart skipped a beat.

00000

Ekaterina stepped into Sickbay to find Harry laying on one of the beds and clearly in a restless sleep. The Doctor was nowhere to be found and Tom was sitting next to his friend. He turned to see her walking up to them and made his way over to her.

"How is he doing, Lieutenant?" she inquired.

"He's not doing good. He's been having a few hallucinations. His whole body and mind seems to be in a extremely tumultuous state and nothing we've tried seems to calm him down," he quietly told her.

Ekaterina narrowed her eyes at the ensign as she gently stepped up to his side. She could see the sweat pouring off his entire body, which was shaking severely. Running her one hand through his hair and placing the other on his chest, she began to softly talk to him.

"Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. You will recover from this. I am here," she murmured into his ear.

As if on cue, the ensign slowly calmed down and his body began to rest peacefully. Tom was amazed as Janeway and Tyrex watched from the doorway. The captain soon led him out of the room and down the hallway. The chancellor was upset and it clearly showed on his face.

"Captain, there's nothing more you can get out of me. You can ask your two officers yourself for they interrogated me very intensely earlier," Tyrex told her.

"I'm not looking to interrogate you about whether or not you might be a mereflow. I'd like to know more about Advisor Matol," Janeway explained.

The look of pure confusion crossed Tryex's face. He was quite perplexed as to why Janeway made such a request.

"Chancellor, I'm just exploring all the options. I'm not trying to make any accusations whatsoever. Please, humour me," she replied.

"Advisor Ekaterina Matol has been nothing but an exemplary member of my committee. As far as I know, she doesn't have a lot of friends and she isn't involved with anyone at the moment but she's been very open with me. I am probably her closet friend for she tells me everything. My advisor has given me nothing but tremendous council over the last 10 years," he explained.

"So there might be nothing that's she's hiding?" questioned Janeway.

"I don't see how. I've been to her home several times and there's nothing out of the ordinary there. She is a bit of a loner for she usually stays home at night. Usually does some reading before going to sleep. If you even think about accusing her…" he started.

"That remains to be seen, just like you chancellor. We're not going to put the suspicions on you or Ransor to rest until we have definitive proof in any direction," Janeway replied.

Tyrec watched her as she headed down the corridor even further. He began to follow her again, hoping to make some sort of agreement.

00000

"What happened to your hand?"

Ekaterina broke out of her trance and faced Tom Paris as he sat across the room from her. He was giving her a curious look as he folded his arms, waiting for a response.

"What was that again?" she questioned.

"What happened to your hand? I see you have it bandaged," he repeated.

She stole a quick glance at her hand, grinning before returning her stare to Harry Kim. She eyed the lieutenant out of the corner of her eye before giving a deep breath.

"I had a slight accident this morning while making my breakfast. Wasn't being careful and ended up cutting my hand with a knife," she replied.

"How bad is it? I could get the Doctor online and he might look at it for you," offered the lieutenant.

She shook her head and flexed her fingers. Before either of them could say anything else, a groan came from the biobed. The two looked to see Harry struggling to climb to a sitting position and they hurried over to his side.

"Harry, how are you doing?" Tom quickly asked.

The ensign blinked a few times before their faces came into focus. He grinned from ear to ear once he saw Ekaterina and leaned up to kiss her. She was slightly caught off guard as he almost reached her lips. Placing a hand on his chest, she tenderly pushed him back down to the bed.

"Harry, we're not alone," she quietly said.

Harry turned to see Tom standing next to them, looking somewhat uncomfortable with what he almost witnessed yet a second time. Harry turned his head away slightly, a small blush to his cheeks.

"Harry, we'll talk about that later. Right now, I'd like you to tell me how you're feeling," Tom told him.

Harry thought about the question for a moment, uncertain how he was going to answer his friend. After several seconds, Harry opened his mouth.

"I feel extremely fatigued. My mind is very foggy and I can't seem to tell the difference between my memories and dreams. I remember seeing the captain wandering around the forest. She tried to help me several times and I even told her to leave me behind at one point but she wouldn't listen to me," he muttered.

Tom gave Ekaterina a worried look and she returned it. She pulled him aside and wondered what everything meant.

"Lieutenant, I care for him as well and I hate to see him like this but you must be exhausted. If you'd like to get some rest, I will look after him. I cannot promise that he will not try and kiss me again but I will promise to minimize anything if it should happen. If he should require assistance, I will bring the doctor online," she quietly said.

"All right but if anything happens, I'll put the blame squarely on your shoulders," he replied.

She nodded as he hesitated for a moment and headed out the door. Once he was gone, Ekaterina stepped back up to Harry and gently caressed his face.

"Harry don't you worry. I'll get you out of here. Just give me some time," she cooed into his ear.

He gave a small smile as he took her hand and kissed the fingers. Ekaterina returned the smile as she placed a calming hand through his hair and he fell asleep within a few short moments.

00000

Tom walked out of the Sickbay to find Janeway standing there, arms crossed. She gave him a lopsided smile as he moved closer to her.

"Is there anything wrong Captain?" he wondered.

"Nothing yet. I'm simply curious about Advisor Matol's hand. Did she mention how she injured it?" she replied.

"She said she cut it this morning on a knife," Tom said.

Janeway eyed the Sickbay door as Tom wondered what exactly was going on. He stood next to her and joined in the direction of her stare.

"What are you thinking?" asked Tom.

"I'm thinking we should soon get our crew back," she said.

00000

Chakotay carefully watched the captain pace back and forth in her ready room. Late afternoon was beginning to fall on Rysaria and everything was making her nervous.

"It's almost impossible to know when to go. They'll be expecting us to come back immediately yet if we wait too long, the others will be nothing but mindless slaves," she mused.

"You're right. By what you've told me, the only thing they really seem to fear from us is if we discovered any of their secrets too early," Chakotay mentioned.

Janeway thought about it for a moment before a smile crossed her face. She turned back to Chakotay, a knowing look on her face. He was wondering what was on her mind now.

"And we do know one of their secrets. I know where they live. It is possible that might scare them a bit," she reminded him.

Chakotay returned the smile, realizing what she was getting at. She walked up to him, her mind filled with ideas.

"Well, let's get started. Tuvok and the others aren't going to wait forever," she replied.

TBC…


	15. Decoy!

Tom walked back into Sickbay to find Harry on his side, facing away from the door. Ekaterina hovered over him with a hand gently rubbing his arm, whispering into his ear. He was slightly worried as he stepped up to them. Ekaterina seemed to be a little surprised to see him so soon.

"I tried but I couldn't get any rest. What's wrong with him?" he questioned.

"He has been a bit restless for the last several minutes. The only thing that seems to calm him down is if I gently talk to him," she replied.

The lieutenant called for the Doctor, who materialized with his usual line before turning towards his patient. He lifted a tricorder and narrowed his eyes.

"Has anything happened while I was offline? His vitals are down greatly from earlier but they are still elevated slightly. It's as if he was scared out of his skull," he questioned.

"Nothing has happened, Doctor. He simply hasn't been able to completely calm down," Ekaterina replied.

The Doctor gave a sigh as he gazed between her and Harry Kim. He stepped into the next room and grasped a small device before returning, placing it on Ensign Kim's neck. He glanced back up to Tom before pulling him aside.

"I am uncertain what is causing these reactions. It'd be best if he weren't left alone for too long. The device will continue to monitor his vitals and will alert me to any significant changes," the Doctor told him.

Tom nodded in reply as the captain and Chakotay walked through the door. The duo took notice of them and joined the group.

"Doctor, Lieutenant, how is our patient?" asked the captain.

"Better but not completely out of danger yet, Captain. It's not his physical state I'm worried about at the moment, but his mental state. After the incident earlier, I'm beginning to wonder if he's being affected by an external force," the Doctor explained.

The captain thought about what she told for a few seconds before turning her attention to Tom Paris, who took a moment to notice that he had a set of eyes on him.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm going after the others. I was hoping you'd join me," she told him.

Tom was shocked as he heard the offer. He weakly nodded his head, hoping for an explanation to the sudden change in opinion.

"Lieutenant, you've been affected just as much as Harry or myself. I know you've been waiting to get vengeance for several days now. I've decided to give you that chance," she replied.

"Yes, Captain," the lieutenant said.

Chakotay glanced between the three of them. The Doctor appeared to be the most worried out of the four of them.

"Do you realize what you're proposing? Risking more lives?" the hologram wondered.

"I do, Doctor, that's why only the two of us are going after them with some a bit more powerful. I saw one of them die with serious burns suffered from a phaser so they're not invincible," the captain explained before turning to the first officer. "If anything happens and you don't hear from me at the specified time, I want you to scan for anybody who might have made it out of the forest boundaries, beam them aboard and leave, even if it means leaving some behind. Is that understood?"

Chakotay gulped as her eyes bore into him. He reluctantly nodded as she and Tom headed out of the door. He turned around and locked eyes with Ekaterina, who remained in her vigil beside Harry Kim. She gave him a weak smile, before carefully making her way to his side.

"Commander, if I may ask, one of my fellow advisors is very interested in space exploration. I was wondering if it was all right if she could come on board for at least a little while before you left," requested Ekaterina.

"This is a very delicate time for us right now. I'm certain the captain would not want any visitors onboard that don't need to be in the way," Chakotay explained.

"But we won't be in the way. Assign someone to guide us around, someone who know the areas where we won't be in the way, say for instance, your bridge or engineering," she suggested.

He thought about the request for several long moments, giving her a hard look before finally nodding.

"I'll inform Neelix and will send him down here soon," he replied.

Ekaterina thanked him immensely, a grin crossing her face as he left the Sickbay. She returned back to the ensign's side, running a hand through his hair before placing a small kiss on his cheek.

00000

Captain Janeway stared at the forest, with Tom Paris by her side. As much as he wanted to get back at the mereflow, he couldn't help but feel something was amiss with the scenario.

"Captain, are you certain you don't want to wait and come up with a plan first?" he wanted to make sure.

"The last time we did that Lieutenant, I ended up getting captured with several members of my crew. I wanted to minimize the amount of time that we gave them to act," Janeway responded.

She motioned for him to follow, which he promptly did so. They began to make their way through the forest. The moon illuminated their path past the roots and branches, hiding behind the various trees along the way. Janeway soon glanced to one side and realized it was the same place that she had found Harry earlier that day. Tom stopped and wondered what she was staring at.

"That's where I found Harry. That means we're close, Tom," she whispered.

He nodded before they continued to make their way past the trees. Once they got closer, Tom turned his back against a tree before turning to the captain, who did the same.

"Captain, is it just me or does it seem like this is too easy? I mean, they haven't tried to eat us yet," he quietly wondered.

"You're right. We should have seen some resistance by now. One is more than powerful enough to overtake the two of us," agreed the captain.

She began to make her way to the camp, with Tom following closely behind. As they reached the outskirts of the clearing, Janeway instantly knew there was something wrong. Two lone mereflow circled the smouldering flames within the middle of the camp and neither Janeway nor Paris could see any others.

00000

Ekaterina and Neelix stepped into the transporter room to be greeted by the technician, who turned enough to take notice of them.

"Greetings Advisor, Neelix. Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked her.

"Advisor Matol has a friend ready to come aboard. I'm giving them a tour," the Talaxian replied.

The crewmember flashed them a smile as he made the preparations. The duo watched him as he beamed the young Rysarian onto the transporter pad.

"I remember the commander mentioning your request," the crewman told Ekaterina before turning back to the Rysarian. "Welcome aboard _Voyager_, Advisor."

The newcomer smiled at him before stepping down. She quickly followed the two out the door.

00000

"Where are they?" Janeway demanded.

The two creatures soon glanced at each other, talking quietly to themselves before Tom quickly stood up and fired, hitting one directly in the torso. The other yelped, glancing in their direction before scurrying off into the forest, a few shots heading in his direction. Janeway angrily glared at Tom before they warily climbed into the clearing. Tom aimed his weapon in the mereflow's face as Janeway gathered her thoughts. She walked past the injured mereflow to the cave where the others were kept to find every one of them still within their prison.

"Tuvok, what happened?" demanded the captain.

"After your escape, the mereflow quickly left, scattering into every direction possible. The one named Rosar came in to see us at the end, saying that as badly needed as we were, they could not afford to take us with. I suppose he considered us extra baggage. I am uncertain why they believe that now," Tuvok explained.

The two glanced out the mouth of the cave once they heard noises filtering through the air.

"Um…Captain? You'd better get out here," Tom questioningly called into her.

Janeway hurried outside to find quite the sight: the fur on the mereflow was slowly disappearing to reveal a man underneath. He was trying to laugh through the wheezing, carefully crawling away from them.

"You'll never find her, Captain…In fact you'll never see any of them again…All of you were needed to some extent but we have exactly what we need. The one thing that is more important than the rest of you put together," he gasped.

He began to cough violently for several long moments before taking one last breath and falling back onto the ground. The fur had completely disappeared by then and the two stared at the body spread out on the ground.

00000

"You have quite the amazing ship here, Master Neelix. I never anticipated something to be so big."

Neelix glanced back at Aria, who was walking next to Ekaterina behind him.

"Yes, it is big and we've got a lot of people to deal with everything that goes on around here. Around here, people have to be flexible," Neelix replied. "Now, off to where I mostly work, the mess hall."

As the two followed him to the turbo lifts, Ekaterina quickly made her way closer to his side and leaned in closer to her ear.

"If it's fine with you, I was hoping to quickly check in on Ensign Kim. I am greatly worried for his safety and wanted to make certain with your Doctor if there was anything I could do to help," she purred.

Neelix couldn't help but give a smile but they both saw the mild worry that crossed his face.

"I can't see why we can't make a quick stop along the way. After all, you both had to deal with those dreadful creatures. I tried to warn them into coming here but they didn't listen to me. Now Ensign Kim has to suffer the consequences," Neelix said.

Aria and Ekaterina gave each other a glance as they stepped up to the turbo lift. After a few moments, they stepped off and headed for Sickbay. Once they were inside, the Doctor barely turned his attention to them.

"If you have come to visit, make it brief. Ensign Kim still needs his rest and I have to run a few more tests," the hologram warned them.

"Don't worry, Doctor. We won't be long," Ekaterina assured him.

She stepped up to the sleeping ensign as Neelix carefully watched her. Neither of them noticed Aria heading towards the nearby console. After pressing a few buttons, the Doctor was caught off-guard and dematerialized. Neelix quickly took notice of this and pressed his combadge.

"Security!" he managed to yell out.

The last thing he saw was Ekaterina standing beside Ensign Harry Kim, his hand in hers and he swore he saw a grin on her face.

00000

Tom watched as the captain gently moved closer and poked the man with her weapon, to make certain he was indeed dead.

"That was odd, Captain. What did he mean by 'we have exactly what we need'?" wondered the lieutenant.

Janeway gave a slight shrug of her shoulders as she carefully examined the dead man's body. As her stare went from his feet to his head, her eyes narrowed his confusion. Clambering to her feet, she hurried back towards the caves. She caught Tom by surprise with her reactions.

"Wha…?" he started.

The captain turned back to the lieutenant, pointing in the direction of the dead mereflow.

"Did you hear what he had to say? Did you have a good look at him? I hope you get a look before we leave. We have to get back to the ship as soon as possible," replied Janeway.

It took Tom a moment to react before he returned his stare back to the man laying on the ground. He wondered what was so strange about him until his eyes hit the upper torso and face. Instead of being greeted by the customary tattoos and pointed ears, he was met by something drastically differentt.

He had slight ridges all over his face, shoulders and arms.

00000

As the captain and lieutenant materialized on the transporter pad, they were greeted by a sombre Commander Chakotay. As the captain stepped down, she feared what he was going to say for she felt she knew what it was about.

"Commander…?" she started.

The words felt heavy to Chakotay, knowing that he probably end up with a demotion and or a severe reprimand. Once he saw Janeway boring her eyes into his very soul, he slowly opened his mouth.

"Shortly after you left, Advisor Matol requested that a friend and colleague of hers to come on board to see _Voyager_. I permitted it for I saw no real threat. As Neelix began to show them around, they made a quick stop into Sickbay where her friend deactivated the Doctor and attacked both Neelix and Advisor Matol," Chakotay reluctantly explained.

"If she has friends like that, I'd hate to see her enemies. How are Neelix and the advisor?" Janeway commented.

"Advisor Matol has a few scrapes and bruises while Neelix is recovering from a moderate concussion but they'll both recover," Chakotay replied.

Tom stepped forward, the worrying question on his mind and Chakotay knew it was coming before they even came back on board. He could see it on both of their faces.

"What about Harry? How is he?" demanded the lieutenant.

Chakotay sighed, giving the two a quick look before staring at the ground. He carefully motioned for them to follow him, which they complied. They trio stepped out to door to be greeted by a few blood stains and several claws marks which littered the corridor. Janeway blanched as her heart dropped into her stomach, completely understandingwhat had indeed occurred.

"The mereflow have him again," she whispered.

TBC…


	16. Search Results

"…and then she attacked us Captain. I fell unconscious and when I awoke, both she and Harry were gone. I felt helpless," Ekaterina explained.

Janeway, Tuvok and Chakotay all hovered around her as she sat on the biobed. The Doctor was standing on her other side, carefully scanning her with a tricorder. As he looked at the readings, he narrowed his eyes a bit. He lowered his arms, a somewhat confused look on his face.

"Are you feeling all right Advisor?" he questioned.

"Yes, I am fine, despite how I look," she replied.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. He was carefully listening to what the advisor had been saying throughout the entire inquisition and was silently forming his own hypothesis.

"Advisor, did you know that your friend was a mereflow and that she deliberately kidnapped my officer?" Janeway wondered.

Ekaterina appeared to be shocked as she climbed off the bed. Glancing around at the group before her, she shook her head. Janeway moved in closer to her.

"I intend to find them and get my officer back, no matter what it takes. They will pay for what they've done to him," she quietly told the Rysarian advisor.

Ekaterina gulped as she heard those words before she watched the captain, commander and lieutenant commander step out the door. As soon as they were down the hall, out of earshot. Janeway stopped her two officers and turned to face them both.

"What do you two think? Do either of you believe her story?" she asked them

The two men gave each other a quick glance before shaking their heads.

"I feel Advisor Matol has to be involved somehow. I can think of no plausible explanation to her request and then this subsequent attack by the very person she asked to come onboard. It seems too concidental for it to anything else than an assault. She had to have planned it somehow in order to make it look like it wasn't her. My only question is why take only Ensign Kim? There is well over 100 people on this ship she could have also taken," Chakotay replied.

"By what I overheard at their former camp before they had to disappear, there was talk about recovering their newest member before he was lost forever. They might have been implying Ensign Kim. If they had not come to get him before you returned with us, we might have left before they could reach him, thus they lose him forever. To what purpose remains to be seen," Tuvok added.

The captain thought about the entire situation. The possibilities swirled through her mind as the only objective now was clear to her. They had to try and find Ensign Harry Kim.

00000

Tom was absolutely seething inside over what was happening with his friend. B'Elanna sat beside, hoping to give him an ear if he needed to talk. He couldn't imagine what horrors Harry was suffering through at that very moment. His mind wandered back to the camp, to the man that remained from the mereflow he had killed. The image of the naked alien was etched into his brain. They still had to find the planet he had come from and determine more of what exactly happened.

"B'Elanna, I still can't get over the idea that Harry is still with those monsters and the possibility that he even might be one of them. This is all my fault," Tom muttered.

"Tom, you can't blame yourself for this. No one could have seen this coming. Besides, we still can't be certain if he has indeed been turned into one of those things," B'Elanna told him.

She placed a comforting hand on his arm but he paid no attention to her attempts to reassure him of the situation. His only worry was that he would never see his friend again. Slowly, he turned his attention to the half-Klingon and her words.

"But think about it B'Elanna. The similarities between Harry and the one I killed are too similar to ignore. The guy was completely naked, which is how the captain first found Harry when she escaped and the fact that he was not a Rysarian implies that the mereflow are not picky on who they take. The fact they've kidnapped Harry twice already suggests something that we don't fully understand yet. He's got to mean something important to them," Tom replied in a shaky voice.

"You think Harry might be what the alien was talking about? That they got whatever it was they needed the most and it was him?" she questioned.

Tom nodded as he climbed to his feet, running his hand through his hair. He began to pace back and forth, wondering what the next step was going to be. No one seemed to know what to do now. The mereflow had vacated their home and they were getting nothing definitive out of anybody of the possible whereabouts of the creatures.

Now all they had to do was wait.

00000

Tom walked through the streets, his mind not drifting far from the melancholy mood he felt for the past week and a half. Captain Janeway had become very intent now to find the mereflow and bring Harry home though he found that even her hope was slowly fading. He kept wondering how he could have changed things since their arrival on Rysaria. He found himself unable to concentrate on the meetings, his worry for his friend ever looming at the front of his mind. His stare turned to _Voyager_, which sat in a field on the outskirts of the town. Tom Paris crossed his arms, uncertain what to do next and he glanced around the area before realizing where he was.

He was standing right outside Ekaterina Matol's home.

The lieutenant gave a small laugh as he walked up to the house after seeing slight movement inside. He gently rapped on the door and waited for a few moments. Tom was confused when no one came to the door.

'_That's odd, I just saw her pass the window,' _he thought.

Tom carefully opened the door. Looking around, he saw no one at first until he heard the sound of retching coming from the bathroom. He made his way further inside and saw Ekaterina hunched over the toilet, her entire body shuddering. She glanced back at him, the embarrassment clear within her eyes. Tom hurried over to her side and she turned away from him, a hand over her mouth.

"Ekaterina, what's wrong?" he wondered.

"I-I simply caught a stomach virus. Nothing to be worried about. B-besides, you are concerned in finding Ensign Kim. I-I can't see why you fuss over someone like me," she managed to spit out.

Tom gazed over her lean frame and couldn't help but sense that something was different about her. He couldn't place his finger on it but he knew it was there.

"How long have you had this?" he finally asked.

"A couple of days but like I said, nothing to concern yourself over," replied Ekaterina.

Tom watched as he attempted to climb to her feet but to no avail. It was clear to the lieutenant that the advisor was very nauseous and that her very balance was being affected. Suddenly, she lurched and more contents of her stomach were now in the toilet before them.

"Please allow me to escort you to a doctor. You are obviously ill," he offered her.

She shook her head, turning her stare away from him. Tom slightly wondered if she was hiding something as she managed to stand up.

"Lieutenant, I request not to see a doctor. I'll be fine. I have had this illness before and all I need is a few days rest. Go on. Ensign Kim is still missing and your concern is more warranted in finding him, not with an ill Rysarian," she told him.

Tom opened his mouth to protest but before he could say anything, the advisor began to sway on her feet and she collapsed. Yet before she fell into a heap on the floor, Tom caught her and gently laid her down. He debated whether or not to actually call a doctor and find out the truth. Yet before he could reach a decision, his combadge chirped.

"_Lieutenant Paris, I would like to see you in Chancellor Tyrex's office immediately. There's something I would like to talk to you," _came the captain's voice.

Tom gave a sigh before nodding to himself.

"Affirmative," he replied.

He carefully lifted Ekaterina off the floor and gently placed her on her bed. Taking one last look at her still form, he quickly left the building.

00000

Tom Paris stepped through the door to find a grim looking Captain Janeway. He inwardly gulped, certain he was not going to like what was about to transpire.

"Lieutenant, we've spent the last 10 days looking for Ensign Kim to no avail. All of us are beginning to lose hope in this search. If Advisor Matol is indeed the one we're looking for, she's doing a fantastic job of hiding it. Tyrex and Ransor have both been an immense help in our search but our search locations are wearing thin and we're running out of time. At this rate, it could take months, maybe even years to find him, if at all. We don't have that kind of time," Janeway explained.

Tom never relished the idea of leaving anyone behind: the fact it was his best friend made it ten times worse. He barely nodded his head, slowly realizing that it was probably going to be the end. Janeway leaned in closer.

"I realize you must be taking this hard. When we get back to _Voyager_, you've got the next two weeks off," she quietly told him.

"But Captain…" he began to protest.

"I'm not going to argue the point. You're a damn good pilot Paris. I don't want to see your work suffer simply because you're grieving," Janeway explained.

Tom gave a small nod in reply as the captain turned back to the wall map. She crossed her arms, staring at it for several long seconds.

"We're leaving at dawn two days from now. If we get no leads by then, I am afraid we will have to leave without him. You're dismissed," she called to him.

Tom gulped before silently leaving the building. The only thing that was going through his mind was that he never had a chance to say good-bye.

00000

B'Elanna and Tom walked through the streets of the small town. The outdoor lights were slowly flickering on in the diminishing sunlight. Both were relatively silent with the news they had received earlier from the captain.

"I still can't believe Starfleet's gone. I still remember our first meeting on Ocampa. I thought he was there to arrest me," B'Elanna mused.

"Yeah. Harry was quite the fellow. I only wished I had a chance to taunt him one last time," Tom smiled.

B'Elanna also smiled as they walked down a familiar street and house. Tom glanced it its direction and motioned for the engineer to follow him.

"I simply wanted to see how Advisor Matol was doing. I only hope she's fine," Tom explained.

She nodded, understanding. As they drew closer, they noticed the lights inside were dim. Tom stepped up to the door upon hearing voices coming from inside. Both were slightly confused with the situation.

"I wouldn't expect her to have company this late since I thought you said she was so violently ill," B'Elanna questioned.

"She was this morning and she said it would be a few days before she would be better," Tom confirmed.

The duo could heard several noises emitting from the window nearby, which was cracked open an inch and they wondered what could possibly be going on. Tom gave a knock to the door, which no one answered. He tried the door only to find it locked. After attempting to look in a window, they noticed that all the curtains had been pulled. Tom nodded for B'Elanna to follow and they began to head for the back door. As they traveled to the darker confines of the back yard, they passed by the bedroom window to find it was the only one they could still see through. They carefully walked up to it and Tom ducked underneath to the other side. Both could hear giggling coming from inside and they leaned up for a peek inside. Neither were expecting the scene before them and were horrified.

Ekaterina was laying nude on the bed with a man carefully advancing towards her. He climbed on the bed over her and began to kiss her passionately. It was a few moments before they broke it off and he slowly began to press against her body. It continued for several minutes before she gasped and arched her back.

Tom and B'Elanna had immediately recognized the face of the man who was having this intimate moment with the advisor and both were shocked by who it was.

"Oh my God. I don't believe it, it's Harry," whispered Tom.

"How is this even possible? I never anticipated Harry doing something like this. Besides, Ekaterina knew his whereabouts and she lied to us about that and her health. The question is why," B'Elanna questioned, the anger laced through her voice.

"I wish I knew but that means the captain was right: Ekaterina is the one we're looking for," Tom put in.

After a few more minutes, the two within the bed calmed down and simply laid there. He had an arm around her stomach and both appeared to be quite satisfied. Shortly thereafter, Ekaterina leaned in closer to Harry and ran a hand through his hair, whispering something into his ear. He grinned before nodding. He climbed out of the bed and walked out the door. They watched to see what Ekaterina would do next. She soon climbed to her feet and carefully made her way out the door after the ensign.

"Do you think we should contact the captain?" wondered B'Elanna.

As Tom opened his mouth to answer, the two heard growling coming from behind them. Before either of them could react, B'Elanna found herself on the ground and Tom felt the air rush out of his lungs. The half-Klingon looked up to see Harry pinning Tom against the side of the building.

"Harry!" she cried.

"What are you still doing here Tom? You should have left me behind a long time ago!" Harry snarled into Tom's ear.

"We…we were loo…looking for you," Tom gasped.

B'Elanna climbed to her feet and hurried towards her two friends, placing a hand on the ensign's shoulder. The end result was a violent shove backwards by Harry into a set of open arms. The engineer glanced back to find that Ekaterina had her in a headlock.

"Good evening, Lieutenant Paris, Lieutenant Torres. I've been expecting you," Ekaterina told them.

TBC…


	17. Revealing Conversations

"You knew we were coming?" demanded B'Elanna.

"Well, I knew Paris was going to come back after this morning's incident. After seeing how sad he was for his friend for the past week, I elected to bring him into the pack as well. You, my dear, are simply a bonus," Ekaterina purred into her ear.

B'Elanna's mouth curled into a snarl as she tried to free herself from the Rysarian's grasp. She found Ekaterina to be much stronger than what she looked. After a few moments of struggling, she suddenly felt herself been thrown into the building face first and her arms jerked around to her back. She tried to move but Ekaterina kept her pinned.

"Listen to me well, B'Elanna Torres. Your captain has been trying my patience ever since I marked your friend over there. I found that out of all that have arrived on Rysaria, your crew has persevered the most. Over the last few days, I thought about it and I've decided to give Captain Janeway a parting gift. I wish for you to contact her on your communications device and tell her," Ekaterina sneered at her.

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" she wanted to know.

Ekaterina smirked as she twirled the half-Klingon around and grabbed her by the throat. Tom helplessly watched as she tried to gasp for air. He tried to push away Harry but his friend now had a strength unlike anything Tom had ever seen in him before.

"Because either way, she will no longer have one missing officer, but three. I'm actually going to give her the chance to know where they all are before she finally leaves…and to say good-bye," Ekaterina growled.

B'Elanna gulped as she stared at the cold glare on the Rysarian's face.

00000

Captain Janeway sat in her room within the chancellor's luxurious house, contemplating everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks, from the first attack on Ensign Kim, to her most recent decision to leave him behind. She loathed doing it but the mereflow were nowhere to be found and she couldn't ask her entire crew to stay behind for what now looked like a lost cause. A knock soon came to her door and she called out for whoever it was to come in. Chakotay poked his head inside before completely stepping inside.

"Captain, I'm worried about you. Ever since this search for Ensign Kim started, you've been depriving yourself of food and sleep," he commented.

"And your worry will continue after we leave Commander. I'm still debating whether or not I made the right choice. For all we know, someone could slip up the day after we leave and Ensign Kim could be with us once again," Janeway sighed.

"As much as I hate to say it but I believe you made the right call. It's already been 10 days with no sign whatsoever. We can't look forever unless we plan on staying here forever. Yes, we're all going to have to adjust without having Harry around but we're also looking forward in continuing on our journey home at the same time," Chakotay responded.

Janeway gave a deep breath, thinking about everything the crew had experienced during their time in the Delta Quadrant. All she knew for certain was that this trip for supplies nearly resulted in everyone staying, whether they wanted to or not. The chime of her combadge went off and she soon responded.

"_Captain, are you there?" _came B'Elanna's voice.

Both Chakotay and Janeway immediately noticed the shakiness in the chief engineer's voice and quickly became concerned.

"I'm here B'Elanna. What's wrong?" replied Janeway.

"_I have a message for you," _B'Elanna gulped.

"A message? From who?" questioned the captain, the confusion clear in her own voice.

An unsettling pause made the captain's heart jump into her throat. Chakotay was obviously worried: he had never seen his friend quite this jumpy. If it seemed to terrify her, he knew it must be serious.

"_Ekaterina Matol. She says she wants to meet you at the former mereflow camp at the second dawn from now. She's giving you a chance to say good-bye,"_ the engineer told her.

'_Right when I've scheduled to leave this planet,' _the captain thought. "I'm not too certain I understand Lieutenant. To whom am I supposed to be saying good-bye?"

_"Ensign Harry Kim, Captain."_

The name struck her like a runaway train as she stole a look from Chakotay, who was also very surprised. Janeway jumped to her feet, her attention perked in interest before she barely heard a slight crunch.

"Lieutenant, are you still there?" she called out.

When no answer came, Janeway turned to Chakotay, a knowing look on her face.

"Well, after this is all over, I may have to retract what I said a few moments ago. Advisor Ekaterina Matol may have just planned either her last laugh or her own downfall," Janeway told him.

00000

Tom continued to walk down the passageway, despite half-hearted attempts to stop dead in his tracks. His mind was overturned with the new information he had received just minutes earlier. He hoped he and B'Elanna would end up at their destination soon: both were now blindfolded and their hands tied behind their backs.

"You still haven't told us where you're taking us," demanded B'Elanna.

"Be patient, Klingon, we're almost there. Besides, it should be obvious that we're taking you to your new home. There, you shall meet the people who will be your new family," Ekaterina smirked.

It was clear to the Rysarian that that B'Elanna was very unhappy with the current situation. After several more long moments, Tom and B'Elanna heard the slight movement of a door being opened. Once they felt themselves move through it, their blindfolds were ripped off their faces. They gasped at the sight for before them, were a legion of mereflow and various alien species milling around a lush clearing dotted with small houses and caves. The first thing the two noticed were that the ones in humanoid form were in the same state of dress as their two captors.

"What kind of operation do you run here anyway?" B'Elanna wondered.

"We are a pack of mereflow and as you can see, we're not just from a single race either. The stories your Talaxian friend told you on your way here are true. Very few people who have come here to trade with the Rysarians have lived to tell about us for we have brought most of them into families spread all across the planet. We have to in order to survive," Ekaterina explained.

As she was talking, an older Rysarian man stepped up to the group and turned toward Ekaterina.

"Tenru, everything you asked for is coming along nicely and Aria has already volunteered to help you when the time comes," he told her.

"Thank you Rosar, I am glad to hear that. Anything else I should know about?" she replied.

He glanced back at her three companions, a worried look on his face. Turning his attention back to his leader, he slowly nodded his head.

"Yes, there is something I have been wanting to discuss with you about for the last few days - in private," he said.

"Of course, I remember you mentioning it now. Mikah, please take our guests to our room. I shall meet up with you there soon," requested Ekaterina.

"I shall, my darling. Rosar, it is nice to see you again," Harry said.

He gave a slight nod of the head, which Rosar returned. As Rosar and Tenru walked in the opposite direction, Harry began to lead Tom and B'Elanna away. The trio soon came across a cave entrance and they walked inside. Harry shoved them into the hard chairs sitting in the middle of the room. He grasped the arms of Tom's chair so hard that he moved the chair back. Harry stared at his friend with wild eyes.

"Do you what the hell you've gotten yourself into this time Tom?" Harry demanded to know.

"I'm afraid not Harry, you're going to have to tell me," Tom replied, the mild sarcasm in his voice.

Harry smirked as he stepped away from the two. He paced back and forth, hands running though his hair. His friends watched him and patiently waited for whatever explanation he was going to be.

"The captain should have left without me when she had the chance. I would be a danger to her, to the two of you and to everyone else on board _Voyager_. This is completely different than what happened with the Taresians. Unlike what they tried to do to me, I am no longer human. I am indeed a mereflow and here is exactly where I'm supposed to be," he snarled.

Tom inhaled at the statement while B'Elanna's jaw dropped. Neither could believe what their friend and crewmate was saying: the same one who had been so desperate to get home to Earth no longer had the desire, insisting he had already found home.

"Harry, don't say that. You're still our friend. We can help you!" B'Elanna pleaded with him.

"And don't call me that anymore. Ensign Harry Kim no longer exists. I am simply known as Mikah around here. All the mereflow who aren't native to Rysaria have to forsake their past lives for it is difficult for us to leave the confines of the forest, lest being seen by the locals and arouse suspicion. Anything I was on _Voyager_, is no longer and now the same goes for the two of you," Harry told them.

"If you're so certain about everything, then why didn't you try and contact us? Tell us about all this sooner?" B'Elanna wondered.

Harry turned his attention to his fellow engineer and moved closer to her. As he approached her, she desperately tried to stare directly at his face and not further down his body.

"I wanted to B'Elanna. God, you don't realize how much I wanted to contact you and tell you to just go but I couldn't. Too much risk involved. Tenru was hoping you would have left a long time ago on your own when you couldn't find me. Apparently, that wasn't the case," he explained.

He ran his fingers through his hair before sitting down on the end of the bed. The two watched him as he faced the floor, appearing close to tears.

"It wasn't my decision to try and bring you here Tom but Tenru could see your gloom over my disappearance and she could see my heart ache for your friendship again," Harry said before turning to B'Elanna. "I am so sorry that you had to be brought into this too."

The conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door and a familiar figure stepped inside. Ekaterina noticed where all three were before sitting on the bed behind Harry, wrapping her arms around his chest. He gave a smile as he gently placed his hands on hers.

"Don't get yourself worked up over this, Mikah. Once they go through the process, they'll understand," she whispered.

"What kind of crap are you telling him anyway?" demanded Tom.

"We are telling him nothing but the truth and he has begun to see that, as you will soon see yourselves," Ekaterina told him.

Harry moved around to face Ekaterina completely, a slightly worried look on his face. He placed an arm around her and pulled her closer. She could sense the anxiety in his movements and she leaned against him.

"So what's the news? How is it going to work?" he asked.

"For the next few months, I am supposed to take it easy before Rosar will take over. He will lead the pack until I am able to do so once again," she quietly explained.

Tom narrowed his eyes, wondering what kind of illness she could possibly have that would warrant an extended period of time from her duties. All he knew for certain about Ekaterina was that she never quite revealed anything unless she absolutely had to. He watched as his friend slightly turned his attention from her, his shoulders tensing up.

"Mikah, do not worry about your friends. Their transition will be smoother with your presence," she comforted him.

"Don't give me that crap, monster! I will make everyone's life a living hell for taking away everything that I hold dear," snarled B'Elanna.

Ekaterina quickly rose to her feet and rushed over to the engineer's chair, grasping the arms hard enough that it pushed it back a bit.

"You're calling _me_ a monster, are you? Tell me, _Klingon_, if someone from around here were to land on your home world, they might think your culture were barbaric," she told a surprised B'Elanna. " Yes, I've read about your Klingon heritage and they seem to be quite ill-tempered, they declare war against others in the name of so-called honour and they don't easily trust anyone. You won't have to worry about that now. Here, you'll be stronger, faster and be free of any inhibitions."

"I guess that's the reason behind your wonderful fashion sense, or rather lack thereof," Tom questioned.

"Clothes are constricting and they are of no value to us once we change back into mereflow," Ekaterina replied.

She took a step back placed a hand on her forehead, closing her eyes and appeared as if she were to be ill again. Harry stepped up behind her and placed his hands around her waist. He began to whisper in her ear and she gave a deep breathe. After he managed to calm her down, he turned back to his friends.

"Listen Tom, B'Elanna. I know this is a lot to take in at once but everyone has been so good to me, especially Tenru and Rosar. I owe them a lot more than what you realize," he told them.

"But Harry…" started Tom.

"Mikah. His name is Mikah," corrected Ekaterina.

"Mikah," Tom said. "I still don't understand: why you?"

Harry didn't answer him. Instead, he drew Ekaterina closer to his body. She opened her eyes slightly, a huge smile on her face.

"He is my mate now. From the first moment we met, I knew it was meant to be. We are together, now and forever. Mikah loves me unconditionally and the only thing he wants to do is see that I am happy and make certain that I'm safe," Ekaterina sighed.

"I won't believe any of that crap! I know Harry! he wouldn't want any of this!" Tom yelled at her.

All Ekaterina could do was grin as one of Harry's hands made its way down her body and held her, making her slowly inhale. He passionately kissed her as he continued with his attention elsewhere. After a few moments, Harry broke it off and knelt down in front of her, gently grasping her sides.

B'Elanna tightly shut her eyes and looked away. Tom's jaw was to the floor in total disbelief as he watched the scene play out before him. His mind kept telling him 'no' over and over again, that everything wasn't happening, that they were all back on _Voyager_, that this was one big nightmare.

After a short time, Ekaterina gave a deep sigh and closed her eyes before sinking into Harry's waiting arms and he gingerly placed her onto the bed. Tom knew the party wasn't over yet simply by seeing how much his friend was enjoying himself. Harry climbed into the bed behind her. A moan escaped her lips as he wrapped his arms around her before continuing.

00000

"What do you think Commander? How much danger do you think B'Elanna's in right now?" wondered Janeway.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she has already been changed into a mereflow. If she hasn't, there's that ever-lingering threat," Chakotay responded.

Janeway turned to Tuvok, who had arrived at the house on her request. The Vulcan had remained silent the entire time she was debating her next move.

"I'm still worried this might be a trap," Chakotay mused.

"You're right, it very well could be. I could take a whole army with but I don't think Ekaterina is that stupid. After all, she hid from us this long," Janeway replied.

"Perhaps only a small group should go for if what Advisor Matol has relayed through Lieutenant Torres is accurate, this may be this last we see Ensign Kim and possibly even her," Tuvok explained.

A soft knock came to the door and the door opened enough to allow Chancellor Tyrex to peek his head inside. A worried look was already sitting on his face and Janeway didn't like where anything was going.

"What is it Chancellor? I'm a bit busy right now," questioned the captain.

"I apologize for disturbing you, Captain Janeway but I have a great apprehension about whatever it is you're planning to do. Despite this, I would like to help in any way I can," Tyrex told them.

"You don't even know what we're discussing," stated Chakotay.

"Though I fear it's about the mereflow. Something's happened and I have a feeling you're going to go meet them. Let me join you," the chancellor explained.

Janeway crossed her arms and walked up to the chancellor, wondering what to tell him about the situation. She finally decided to simply tell him.

"Chancellor, we were contacted by one of my officers with a message from one of them. We are to meet the mereflow in just over one day at their former camp. What they're expecting and what they're getting are two different matters. They have two of my officers, possibly a third since we cannot contact Lieutenant Paris. We are going to get them back, no matter what it takes. They have my word," Janeway told him.

TBC...


	18. A Day in the Life

Tom jolted completely awake as he felt a hand being rested on his shoulder. Through blurry eyes, he noticed two other figures within the glaring sunlight. A man stood next to him and a woman was over by B'Elanna.

"Wake up, Lieutenant. We've got to get going," the man told him.

Tom blinked a few more times as he slowly woke up. The man helped him to his feet and they headed toward the door. Along the way, Tom stole one last look at his friend, who was still curled up beside Ekaterina, an arm around her. The man noticed this and couldn't help but give him a small smile.

"Do not worry for your friend. He is important since he is Tenru's mate. The others will make certain that no harm ever comes to him. I can assure you on that," the man said.

It was then that Tom realized that the man was the one from the night before. Rosar, he thought the name was. Both he and B'Elanna remained silent as they walked through the camp. They received the occasional stare but neither took any real notice as they were lead into a modest home. Rosar and the woman freed their bound arms before he sat down. Tom rubbed his wrists, not realizing until then how much his arms hurt.

"So what about us? We're supposed to be turned into one of you? I don't like this one bit," B'Elanna blurted out.

"None of others did either, Lieutenant Torres. The others had the exact same reaction as you do right at this very moment. The Rysarians believe we're monsters and so does everyone else who has heard about us," Rosar quipped.

Both Tom and B'Elanna became silent, hoping there would be more of an explanation. Rosar's stare went from him to her and then back to him again before climbing to his feet. He stepped over to the pilot and gave a sad smile.

"The Rysarians have all but forgotten about us, and therefore, the history that came with us. Over 500,000 of us used to live among them in both forms. We were respected, yet feared, for they knew what kind of power we had. Then came the day when a mob of intolerant bastards murdered an entire family of mereflow just to prove a point. We retaliated and the rest is history. Ever since, we've been in hiding. Tens of thousands have died since then from starvation and early hunting," Rosar explained.

B'Elanna snorted as she crossed her arms. The woman prepared herself for any sort of retaliation from the half-Klingon. Rosar lifted an arm in order to stop her from advancing.

"Aria, allow her to speak if she would like," he warned her.

She nodded as she stepped back. B'Elanna took notice of this reaction before returning her attention back to Rosar.

"That still doesn't explain why you've resorted to kidnapped travellers to this planet," she stated.

Rosar grinned as he walked over to the window, gazing out over the others. They milled about the camp, minding their own business as they always did. A myriad of thoughts ran through his mind before he slowly turned back to the duo.

"Unlike what some Rysarians believe, we're a dying race. When we were forced into hiding, it diminished our chances of bringing up our children in a safe haven. The numbers are diminishing with every generation. The Rysarians had become extremely wary of our patterns. Since we are able to transform others, we were then required to look elsewhere if we wanted our race to continue," he finally explained.

Tom carefully watched the male mereflow as he stepped up to him. Rosar carefully walked around the lieutenant, knowing exactly what he was on his mind. Rosar stopped behind him and leaned in closer.

"Lieutenant Paris - Tom - I know both of you think of us as nothing more than monsters who kidnapped your friend and forced him to be one of us but you must understand that there's less than 1000 of us left scattered across this forsaken planet. Mikah is the very key to our survival. Whether or not you believe me is up to you," Rosar quietly told him.

Tom and B'Elanna watched as Rosar hesitated for only a moment before heading for the door. Aria soon began to follow him. As they reached the door, Tom gave a sigh.

"Rosar, wait!" he called out to him.

Rosar stopped in his tracks, though he didn't turn around to face them. Tom took a couple of steps towards the second-in-command, who remained perfectly still.

"I have to know one thing: do you have a family?" Tom finally asked.

Rosar was a bit surprised with the question but he failed to let it show before nodding his head.

"As a matter of fact I do. I have a wonderful brother and two beautiful daughters. I would die for them," he replied.

He walked out the door with Aria right on his heels, leaving behind two slightly confused officers. B'Elanna stepped towards the door, crossing her arms. She gave a small snort before turning back to Tom.

"Does he really expect us to believe all that?" she asked.

"Yeah, he does. That is quite a tale to swallow but did you see the look on his face when I asked him about his family? He appeared almost…guilty," Tom replied.

"Guilty? Why would any of these people feel guilty about anything they've done?" B'Elanna continued.

Tom shrugged his shoulders, uncertain how things were going to turn out. His mind wandered back to his best friend and wondered what was going to happen to him.

00000

Janeway stared at the plans in front of her, with Chakotay on one side her, Tuvok on the other. Tyrex stood on the other side of the table, a lump settling in his throat.

"So now it's confirmed that two of your most trusted advisors are mereflow and they plotted against all of us to get to one of my best officers. I'd like to know why," Janeway sternly stated.

"I keep telling you, I have no one in my office by the name of Aria. She must be using an alias. As for Ekaterina, I only wish for her to return and explain everything to me. I want to understand the situation just as much as you do," protested the chancellor.

"Either way, this Aria, whoever she is, came on board under the pretense of an advisor. If you do not mind, I would like to look around Advisor Matol's home. Perhaps there is something that could shed more light on the situation," Tuvok responded.

"I don't know what purpose that will serve. She's long gone from civilization, along with everyone else," Tyrex snorted.

Tuvok manoeuvred his way around the table until he faced the Rysarian. The Vulcan carefully watched his every move. Tyrex stared back before he gave a sad nod, leading the Vulcan out the door. Chakotay turned to Janeway, a smirk sitting on his face.

"What's so funny Commander?" she asked him.

"You didn't see it? If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was protecting them," Chakotay replied.

"Protecting them from what?" Janeway questioned.

"Not from what, who. I mean, you said so yourself. The man considers himself to be Ekaterina's closet friend. He must have known something about this, even if it was only an inkling. He might be afraid we're going to seriously injure her, maybe even kill her," Chakotay offered.

"Are you serious, Chakotay? She's deliberately attacked Harry, snatching him from our clutches on multiple occasions and most likely changed him into one of them, manipulating him for whatever her purpose may be. That gives me no reason whatsoever to be lenient," the captain said.

"True enough but we'll have to see what tomorrow morning brings. For all we know, we might not get the chance to put our plan into action and if we do, it might not go exactly as we've planned it. We might all end up getting captured," Chakotay told her.

"I realize that but I'm willing to take that chance if it means we can rescue Ensign Kim and finally leave. I now see why Neelix tried to warn us about this planet. They make a person's life a living hell," Janeway muttered.

Chakotay nodded before he turned his attention back to the door. An uneasy feeling had settled in his stomach about what was about to happen. At the back of his mind, he hoped this wouldn't end up a massacre.

00000

Tom and B'Elanna gingerly stepped out the door into the glaring sunlight. They glanced around the area to find several others milling around before starting to walk. A nearby trio carefully watched the two as they passed by them.

"Hey, recruits," one finally called over.

Tom stopped, slightly confused by the name. B'Elanna soon came across the three and Tom followed suit. The mereflow motioned for them to move closer, which they complied. The duo immediately noticed the two who weren't in mereflow form were aliens. The male stood up and looked the two over.

"So you're the new ones? You don't look like much. Then again, I thought the same thing of Mikah when he arrived," the man said before holding out his hand. "The name's Hasam, this is Mya and Newal."

"I'm Tom, this is B'Elanna," replied the lieutenant, taking the hand.

Hasam gave a sigh, as if wondering what he was going to say next.

"Don't think harshly of them. They're good people once you get to know them, despite their more aggressive tactics," he finally said.

"Aggressive? That's putting it mildly! They kidnap people and force them to become something they aren't. I can't how any of you would be able to fit into a normal society anymore," B'Elanna protested.

She bared her teeth as she took a step closer but Tom put out an arm to stop her. The three couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

"True enough but as a species, they have to in order to survive. We've come to understand that. As a matter of fact, when it comes to having children, they're cursed just as much as we are," Mya stated.

Alarm began to enter the minds of both Tom and B'Elanna. It quickly spread to their faces and could be easily seen.

"We all know you were talking to Rosar earlier today. He always talks to the new ones as they're brought in. He told you some of their history?" Newal questioned.

Tom and B'Elanna slowly nodded their heads. The trio gave each other the quickest of glances before Hasam moved closer to them.

"Well, here's something he left out. Something he's made a habit of leaving to us to tell. When you're changed into one of us, you will not be able to have any children," he whispered.

"B-but that's impossible! Rosar said he had two daughters and a brother! That indicates procreation!" protested Tom.

"Therein, lies the problem. Yes, what he told you is true. He does have a family. They are descended from the line of natural-born mereflow who are able to conceive, but only with the first one they mate with, no matter race they come from," the mereflow replied.

Tom gulped, wheels turning with his brain as the pieces of the puzzle floated around. One possibility came to mind but he didn't voice it for he was afraid it were true.

00000

Tuvok stepped into the bedroom, glancing around at the mess which filled the room. He raised en eyebrow as he tried to look for anything. His search of her home had thus proven futile. He also found it interesting that Tyrex was watching him like a hawk the moment after arriving at Ekaterina's residence.

"I don't know what you're looking for but you're not going to find it here," Tyrex snorted at him

Ignoring the Rysarian, Tuvok made one last quick sweep at the mess around the room. Tuvok began to make his way to leave to the next room before something on the floor caught his eye. The Vulcan stepped closer and picked up a frame with a picture inside. In the picture, was Ekaterina with an older man.

"Who is this Rysarian?" Tuvok asked the chancellor.

"Him? He's Ekaterina's father. He doesn't live around here and is very difficult to contact so don't even bother trying. I met him once and he's good man. He cares greatly for Ekaterina, despite the fact they live so far apart," Tyrex explained.

Tuvok thought about the new information as he placed the picture onto the table beside the bed. He followed the chancellor out the door, back out to the front.

"Thank you Chancellor. This trip has been very informative," Tuvok said.

"I can't see how it was. There was very little I could tell you," Tyrex snorted.

"But you misunderstand. The information you gave me was very helpful. Had I not come here, I would not have been told what I know now," the Vulcan replied.

Tyrex almost rolled his eyes at the comment and seemed to be eager to leave. He began to make his way for the door but Tuvok stepped in between him and the door.

"I have also noticed that you have been quite agitated since I asked you to bring me here. Is there something that you do not wish for me to find here? Perhaps you have not been entirely honest with myself or Captain Janeway. If you know something…" he started.

"I know nothing of the sort! I am simply upset because someone I trusted apparently kept an extremely dangerous secret from me and you would like to be her judge and jury," Tyrex growled.

The chancellor glared at the Vulcan before storming out of the room. As Tuvok began to follow, an envelope caught his attention. He carefully picked it up and opened it up to reveal a letter inside. He perused the penned words, remembering he didn't understand their written language but he soon felt another piece of paper behind the letter and he moved it to reveal a picture. Looking back at the front door, he gave a small sigh before following the chancellor.

00000

As dusk descended, Tom crossed his arms and remembered that his and B'Elanna's worlds would be changing within a few short hours. He began to make his way back to Ekaterina's 'home' within the camp, hoping to spend some time with his friend before the morning came. Tom noticed that the two got up late and both had been busy the rest of the day making the final preparations for the upcoming confrontation.

'_So much for the worst not happening,' _he thought.

As he neared the building, he heard the onset of growling and grunting emitting from inside. He ran inside only to be stopped by an arm. He glared at Ekaterina, who calmly stood beside him and never even glanced in his direction.

"Simply watch," was all she said.

Tom slowly turned his attention to his friend, who was crouched on the ground with fur quickly appearing on his body. Angered, he turned his glare back to her.

"This is something everyone has to go through. He has to learn to control it without interference from you, me or anyone else," she explained.

Tom gaped as the jet-black mereflow that took Harry's place hovered over him. Carefully watching him, he walked over to the duo, his tail quivering.

"Mikah, it is time," Ekaterina smiled.

TBC…


	19. Moment of Truth

Captain Janeway carefully stepped into the clearing with Tyrex following close behind her. In the middle, B'Elanna and Tom were on their knees and behind them were three mereflow. Janeway carefully eyed her two officers as she moved closer. Tyrex hovered back as Janeway and Tenru moved closer together.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway, I am sad this has to be our last meeting. I rather enjoyed watching you trying to find me and my people," Tenru mused.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual. You've attacked my crew and harmed them in more ways than one. I call that a hostile act," Janeway retorted.

Tenru grinned at them as she stood up and walked around the group. She stopped behind the jet-black mereflow. Janeway gave a sharp inhale for she knew exactly who it was, despite his similarities with Tenru. Mikah. She could swear the mereflow leader was smiling as she slithered past the mereflow and back towards her. The captain crossed her arms, holding her ground.

"You've been given a chance unlike anyone else before, Captain. You and most of your crew will be leaving this planet to tell the tale of your encounter. Also unlike the others, you have the chance to say good-bye to those who aren't leaving," Tenru told her.

"I particularly don't like that offer. If I had known your true colours from the start, I would have never allowed you anywhere near my officers," Janeway spat out.

The grin on Tenru's face was clearly evident now as she nodded her head to he group. Mikah stepped forward and sat beside Tenru.

"Captain, say your good-byes and then we will escort you back to your ship. Then we can be left in peace," she sternly said.

Tyrex shoved his way past Janeway and appeared to be in total disbelief over what he was hearing.

"Peace? You call living out in this forsaken place peaceful? Ekaterina, listen to me, please. We can work something out. You and the others don't have to live here. You have been too good of an advisor for me to abandon you now," Tyrex protested.

"Chancellor, you may have an open mind about us entering your society again but what about the others? They won't understand a thing!" Tenru snarled at him.

"The reason I became chancellor in the first place is because the people have placed their faith in me. I am good to them and I had yet to fail them in any way. Until now, that is. I am not going to allow you to remain here simply because you're different," Tyrex replied.

The mereflow appeared to not be happy with the situation before she turned to the captain, who quickly inhaled.

"And do you honestly take us for fools, Captain? We can smell the others who came with you and you dare bring the Borg here! We have technology that has shielded this planet from them for millennia," Tenru snarled.

Janeway stole a quick glance over her shoulder to find Seven, Chakotay, Tuvok and the other two officers being rounded into the clearing. She eyed the ex-Borg for a split second before returning her stare at the mereflow leader.

"I can tell your people mean a lot to you Tenru, as my own crew means to me. Are you willing to have a massacre on your hands?" Janeway wondered.

Tenru snorted before turning her head enough to glance at Aria and Rosar. They stood tall, as if waiting for their next orders.

"Aria, Rosar…" she began.

Her stare went to B'Elanna and Tom sitting between them. The two began to show their growing worry as Tenru bared her teeth.

"Change them all!"

There was a scramble as Tom and B'Elanna were pulled to their feet. Janeway started to run forward when a figure darted in front of her. She looked up to see Mikah hovering over her.

"I told you to leave me behind, Captain. Look where it's got you now," he growled at her.

"Harry, you of all people should know I couldn't do that. You're too important to all of us," she told him, the worry evident in her voice.

"Not anymore I'm not. Everyone would be terrified once they saw what I've become. Now both Tom and B'Elanna suffer the same fate," Mikah replied.

Janeway quickly turned her attention back to her other two officers. Aria hovered over Tom, ready to sink her fangs into him. Janeway reacted by lifting a phaser and firing it at them. It grazed the mereflow's shoulder and she growled in response.

"You cannot win this, human! We are stronger, faster and this is our home," Aria yelled at them.

The group held out their weapons as the mereflow took defensive positions, allowing Tom and B'Elanna to quickly move away from them. Rosar carefully made his way to Tenru, standing between her and the _Voyager _crew.

"Tenru, get back. You're in no condition to take part in this," he quietly told her.

"But Rosar…" she began to protest.

He snapped his head toward her and bared his teeth at her. She gulped for she knew he meant business about the order before skulking back to the tree line. She watched as her comrades jumped towards the Janeway and the others.

Rosar quickly jumped to face off against Janeway and was rapidly dodging her every shot. The mereflow smirked as he watched the human captain.

"You have given great efforts, Captain Kathryn Janeway. But in the end, you will leave or be brought into the fold," Rosar told her.

"If I leave, it'll be with all the members of my crew, including Ensign Harry Kim," she protested.

"Ensign Harry Kim no longer exists, Captain. Even if you manage to defeat us and free him from our grasp, he will never be the same man as he was before," Rosar snapped back.

The two continued their dance as the others began to take it up with their partners.

00000

Tyrex stood back, watching the mayhem play out. He was almost to tears as he thought about his own people choosing to live all the way out here and were now facing off against a foe that could kill them.

"Ekaterina, why? Now you've brought upon their deaths," he whispered.

Turning his attention to his left, he watched Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres as they ran up to Seven.

"Lieutenants Paris and Torres, it is good to see you are unhurt," Seven told them.

"A few seconds later, we wouldn't have been so lucky. Janeway always had such impeccable timing. I don't know if she had a plan coming in but I think it's blown to bits now," B'Elanna laughed.

Seven didn't even crack a smile at the remark as she handed Tom a phaser rifle. The pilot gritted his teeth as he scanned the clearing before seeing his target. He gave a few deep breathes before turning to the two women.

"Thanks Seven, this is exactly what I need. Don't worry about me. She's mine," he roared.

He began to storm his way to the other edge of the tree line as B'Elanna grabbed a smaller weapon and jumped into the fray. She soon became face-to-face with a familiar figure.

"B'Elanna Torres, it is nice to finally do battle with you," Aria smiled at her.

"Wish I felt the same way but all I want is payback for what you've done to Harry," the half-Klingon snorted.

The mereflow smirked in response as she sped towards the engineer with a speed unlike anything B'Elanna had ever seen.

00000

Chakotay turned to find himself encountering a large mereflow, who bared his teeth in an evil smile.

"It's going to be nice having you join us, handsome. My name is Mya," she coyly told him.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I'll look good with fur," he gulped.

"We all thought that before we accepted the fact we're never going to see home again! You can too, just as Mikah did!" she growled.

She lunged for him and Chakotay fell onto his back. Mya landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Chakotay managed to avoid the snapping jaws of the female mereflow a few times before another growl emitted from her throat.

"You are mine!" she yelled.

00000

Mikah growled at the Vulcan, who carefully aimed a phaser in his direction. The mereflow edged his way closer with an angry stare on his face.

"Mr. Kim, I could help you through this anger if you simply allowed it," Tuvok told him.

"I'm beyond help, Tuvok. I'm a monster. Why would you ever want to help a monster?" Mikah protested.

"No one can be classified as a monster, Ensign, despite their outward appearance," the Vulcan replied.

Suddenly, Mikah's ears perked up in interest and turned his attention towards the edge of the clearing. He watched as Tom inched his way closer to Tenru, who obviously didn't see him coming. Terror crossed his face.

"No!" he cried.

"Ensign Kim, wait!" cried Tuvok.

He left a greatly worried Vulcan behind and ran for the two.

00000

Tenru watched the scene from her vantage point. She was worried because of the wounds that she knew would have to be treated later. At least those were going to be treatable, unlike the two deaths they had already suffered.

That was two too many in her mind.

Her attention kept wandering back to Mikah, who was facing one of his former comrades onboard _Voyager_ and hoped nothing would happen to him. She didn't hear the footsteps beside her until they were on top on her.

"Prepare to die you bitch," snarled a familiar voice.

She turned to see Lieutenant Tom Paris standing only a few feet from her, weapon in tow. She climbed to her feet, her tail quivering ever so slightly.

"Are you will willing to kill the only one your friend truly loves?" she asked.

"Love? Ha! After all the torment you've given him, I'm surprised he wants to be with you. You've kidnapped him and now I want him back!" Tom laughed.

He placed his finger on the trigger and Tenru quickly realized that he was dead serious about her death. Her eyes widened in surprised, backing up into a tree. He fired the weapon and she tightly closed her eyes. She heard a cry of pain and the sound of something heavy hit the ground. Shortly thereafter, the thud of the weapon hitting the dirt filled her ears.

"Harry, no! What have I done?" cried Tom, dropping to his knees.

When Tenru opened her eyes, her heart dropped as she realized who took the shot meant for her.

"Mikah, no!" she yelled out.

Rosar and Janeway heard the anguished cry and immediately ceased their duel, turning their attention to the new development before he ran closer to the two. The others slowly began to notice what was happening and faced the scene acting out before them. Mikah fell to the ground and an unearthly roar escaped his lips. He tried to push himself back up but the pain was too great as he began to change back into a human. As the fur disappeared, he roared again before sobs began to overtake his voice. He fell back down to the ground, showing off the burns that snaked down the side of his body. Tenru barely noticed anything happening around her as she quickly transformed into her humanoid form. She gently placed a hand on his quivering cheek. Mikah carefully opened his eyes and managed to crack a tiny smile.

"Mikah, why did you do that?" she whispered.

"C-couldn't see you -see you get hurt. T-too much at stake," he barely managed to say before falling into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, Tenru felt something at the back of her neck. She turned her head enough to find Janeway aiming a phaser directly at her. She completely turned around to stare at the captain, not straying far from her mate.

"Don't even bother trying to escape. Give me one good reason why I should not just kill you right now," the captain told her.

"I can't give you one," Tenru replied.

The other mereflow growled, giving a step closer to the two. Janeway held her ground, her aim never wavering. Twirling around, she fired at the ground before them, driving them back.

"Stay back, all of you! I will not hesitate to fire! Just listen to my demands and I just might let Tenru live to see tomorrow," Janeway called to them.

The mereflow hung back, slowly realizing the stakes that were at hand. Tenru grinned as she climbed to her feet, the phaser following her every move.

"And what demands are those, oh mighty Captain Janeway?" she wondered.

"Every single member of my crew are to come with me and we will leave this planet with no further aggressions against us," Janeway told her before glancing down to the injured form of Harry. "Including Ensign Kim. No exceptions."

Tenru opened her mouth to protest and Janeway fired upon her. The mereflow growled once they saw their leader reach for her shoulder and wince, seeing that Janeway was dead serious with her words.

"You do not understand Janeway, why I chose your crewmember. I wish I could say I'd rather die but I can't. My people are depending on me in more ways than one. If you feel you must have Mikah back, then take him. Just remember that you might have doomed us in the process," she growled.

"Whatever your reasons are, they won't change _my_ mind," Janeway sneered.

Aria darted between the two, snapping at Janeway, who barely managed to jump out of the way. Rosar stepped up to Mikah and took vigil over his limp body. Tenru carefully walked past Aria and over to the captain, who intently watched her every move. She stood tall and didn't seem to care that they were surrounded.

"But Captain, I'm certain you'd want to hear them though. You wouldn't want to hurt your precious ensign's children, would you?" she offered.

TBC…


	20. Farewells

"She's telling you the truth Captain. Advisor Ekaterina Matol is in fact pregnant with triplets. DNA tests confirm that the father is indeed Ensign Kim," the Doctor told her.

Janeway watched the trio behind the force field. Ekaterina sat on the bed, tending to her shoulder. The ones the captain only knew as Aria and Rosar were on either side of her in humanoid form and thankfully, wearing clothes.

"I ran scans on all of them and cross-checked them all. They're all related. In fact, it's a father and his two daughters," he continued.

The captain remained silent for a few more moments, her stare remaining on the three mereflow. Carefully, she turned her head towards the Doctor, a clearly worried look on her face.

"But what about Harry? Will he live?" she whispered.

The Doctor sighed as he turned his attention back to the ensign on the nearby bio-bed. Harry lay on his one side, a light blanket covering the lower half of his body. The ugly burns across his face and down his side were bared for all to see.

"He'll live but it will take some time for him to recover. The burns are serious but I can treat them but whatever after-effects he will have mentally, I'm afraid there's not much I can do for him," he replied.

"What about the mereflow side of him? Can you get rid of that as well?" inquired the captain.

The Doctor shook his head before leading her to a nearby console and bringing up a DNA strand.

"This was Ensign Kim's DNA patterns before all this happened…" he said before a same, yet different, picture popped up. "…and this is his DNA afterwards. It looks like that if someone were to come into contact with enough mereflow secretions, most likely through the saliva, they would forever bond with that person's DNA, thus changing them permanently into a mereflow. I'm sorry Captain but there's nothing I can do change it. I'm uncertain as it is what kind of effects the transformation will have on him."

Janeway listened to the explanation before storming back over to the shielded section of Sick Bay, where Ekaterina stole a quick glance over in her direction. The Rysarian didn't appear particularly happy with the human captain.

"Advisor Matol, I need to know why you pulled this charade," Janeway demanded.

Ekaterina gave a laugh as she carefully climbed off the bed with Rosar's help and walked up to face Janeway

"Because, Captain Janeway, my people are dying. Do you know what it feels like to continually watch your friends and family die in your arms? There are only two ways to make our population grow: transforming others and reproducing. Unfortunately, either way is becoming increasingly rare. Fewer and fewer travellers are willing to come here and the ones who are able to bear children are more scarce than ever. Myself, Rosar and Aria are among the last ones," Ekaterina snarled at her.

"And what about you? Why not just find someone else now?" Janeway posed.

"Now that I have shared the same bed as Ensign Kim, I cannot. My body will reject any other seed that it encounters. For this reason only, I plead that you to stay long enough for me to make a request of Ensign Kim," she replied.

Janeway briefly thought about the appeal before nodding her head. Ekaterina gave a small smile before returning her attention back to her two companions.

00000

Tom sat silently in the middle of his quarters, staring at the wall. With a hand over his mouth, the memories from the morning's incident racing through his mind. Tears had long since stained his cheeks as he thought about the injuries Harry had suffered by his hand.

He was trying not to think about it or even talk about it, refusing to answer any calls over the comm and at his door but it still kept creeping back into the forefront of his mind. Tom continually found himself desperately wanting to go down to Sick Bay to see how Harry was doing but his fear stopped him from going every single time. There was only one worry on Tom Paris' mind.

Would Harry ever forgive him for what he had done?

"I am so sorry Harry. I wish I could change things," he whispered.

Tom finally climbed to his feet, the tears beginning to form again in his eyes. He walked into his bedroom and stepped up to his night table, picking up the frame which sat upon it. As he stared at the picture of him and Harry, his mind barely registered the voice over the comm.

"_Lieutenant Paris, come in. This is the Doctor."_

The names began to break through the cloud in Tom's mind as he slowly realized exactly who was trying to contact him.

"Paris here. What is it?" he choked out.

"_There's someone here in Sick Bay who would like to see you. If you can come now, it would be great," _the hologram told him.

"I'm on my way," Paris quickly replied.

He turned to the door and began to head out, wondering what he was going to expect once he got there.

00000

Tom carefully stepped through the door and tentatively made his way further inside. He found Harry with his back still to the door and the Doctor hovering beside him. Tom found the Rysarians that had been contained in Sick Bay hours earlier had been removed and he figured they were in the brig by now. The hologram glanced up and motioned for him to move closer. Tom swallowed a gulp before slowly drawing closer, taking note of his friend's injuries.

"He's here Ensign. Are you certain you want to go through with this?" the Doctor gently said.

Harry muttered something inaudible to Tom's ears as he finished the gap between the door and the bed, wondering what was going on. The Doctor looked up and finally stepped over to the lieutenant.

"What's going on Doc?" Tom quietly wondered.

"Advisor Matol has made one last request of Ensign Kim before we depart and he has agreed to it. The problem is that the captain would like to leave as soon as possible and Ensign Kim isn't physically capable to complete the task by himself right now. I am able to speed up the process through a short procedure," the Doctor explained.

"That still doesn't explain why you need me," Tom posed.

Glancing back at the patient, the Doctor gave a small sigh before returning his attention back to Tom.

"Not only would it help for you to take his mind off the procedure, he's also requested your presence. Don't be surprised if he seems a little tense. It's a bit of a - delicate - subject," came the reply. "Shall we get started?"

Tom nodded before moving around the biobed and sitting in the chair next to his friend. He noticed that Harry's eyes were slightly open and they watched Tom's every move. Tom hesitated before he found the courage to speak.

"Hi Harry, how're you doing?" Tom finally asked.

"I've been better. What's kept you?" whispered Harry.

Tom took his time answering the inquiry. He lowered his stare a bit, fumbling around the words in his mind as he rubbed his hands together.

"I-I was greatly upset Harry. Upset at myself for what I did to you. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be in this situation," Tom explained in a soft voice.

"Tom, it's not your fault. You didn't know any of this from the start. Neelix tried to warn us but we didn't listen. In the end, I've been changed. I view everything differently now, and that includes the mereflow. Ekaterina is only protecting what's left of her people. In the end, you didn't know she was pregnant," Harry quietly replied.

A slight grimace crossed Harry's face and Tom finally took notice of what the Doctor was doing. With the blanket partially moved from Harry's front, the hologram was now placing something within a canister that now sat on a table beside him. Tom observed the Doctor for a moment before horror entered the picture as the lieutenant realized what was happening. A hand gently grasped his arm and he turned his attention back to Harry.

"Tom, it's my choice to do this for her. Without it, they are going to completely die out," Harry softly said.

The lieutenant gulped as he watched the Doctor move the blanket back to its original position and take the canister into the next room. Tom glanced back to Harry only to find he had fallen asleep. Tom gingerly climbed to his feet and stepped to the door that the hologram was sitting in.

"Thank you for your assistance Lieutenant. Within a short time, this will be given to Advisor Matol and then we'll be on our way home," the Doctor replied.

Tom weakly nodded before turning back to his friend. Returning to the chair, Tom sat down and began to keep yet another vigil.

00000

Janeway stepped into the transporter room to find Ekaterina, Rosar and Aria patiently waiting.

"Ekaterina Matol, I wish you good luck in the upcoming months," she said.

"My children will not have their father around. He would have dearly loved them. You know you are denying that relationship from all of them," Ekaterina replied.

"I do and that is regrettable but we need Ensign Kim. He is a valued member of my crew…" started Janeway.

"…as much as he is a valued member of my pack. Too bad he could not be in two places at once," finished the mereflow leader.

Janeway gave her a sad smile as she heard the door open behind her. She turned around, expecting to see only the Doctor but both Tom and Harry had decided to accompany him. The ensign was leaning against his friend while the Doctor held the container. Ekaterina's face lit up once she saw him yet Janeway was a little unhappy with the situation.

"Ensign Kim, shouldn't you be resting?" she demanded.

"That's exactly what I told him yet he insisted in coming down to see them off," the Doctor responded.

"Captain…you must understand one thing. Y-you know she is carrying my children, w-who I will never meet. I will never be around her or any of the others again. I wanted to have…one last good-bye," stammered Harry.

Janeway took a moment to think about it before nodding. Ekaterina carefully stepped up to him as the Doctor headed over to Rosar with the container. Harry gently lifted his free hand and began to caress her cheek. Tears began to form in her eyes as she placed her hand on top of his.

"Good-bye Ensign Harry Kim. I had a wonderful time, short as it was. Thank you for everything," she whispered to him.

"You're welcome and I am going to miss you too," he quietly replied.

He calmly leaned in closer and gently kissed her on the lips, not caring who saw him. The sound of Rosar's voice broke through their concentration.

"Ekaterina, the chancellor will be eagerly waiting for us on the surface," Rosar told her.

She nodded her head before slowly stepping to the platform with her sister and father. She gave Harry one last wave before they disappeared into thin air. Janeway gave one last look over to Tom and Harry. The latter appeared to be in a gloom as they began to head out of the room, back to Sick Bay so Harry could rest.

"I only hope you feel better soon Harry Kim," she whispered.

00000

Ekaterina, Rosar and Aria materialized within Tyrex's office. The chancellor sat in his chair, arms crossed and an angry stare on his face.

"Somehow, I knew these people were going to be trouble from the start. I tried to warn you but you didn't want to listen. This is the first time in a very long time that someone has left this planet alive and with the knowledge they possess. They know everything," he growled.

"Don't you think we know that, Tyrex? Perhaps living among these Rysarians for so long has dulled your senses," Rosar chided.

The two began to growl at each other before Ekaterina moved in between them, glaring at them both.

"I realize that I am the first in quite a while to allow someone to leave. It was either that or be killed and you both know we can't afford that. I am with child and we have samples of his seed, as I requested so all is not lost. What I need now is somewhere to keep them until they're required," she barked at them.

The two men settled down as they turned back to her. Tyrex gave a deep sigh before smiling at his advisor.

"I shall keep them here for you. Perhaps we can find a place near the entrance of one of the tunnels. No one shall know they are there besides us. You owe me a lot for this Ekaterina. I had to play that charade a bit longer than normal. You wouldn't believe the improvisation I had to deal with in order not to blow your cover," Tyrex finally said.

Ekaterina grinned as she hurried up to him, grasping him in a huge hug. He couldn't help but return both the smile and the embrace. Tyrex began to laugh as he rubbed her back, a proud look on his face.

"Thank you so much..." she told him. "...Uncle."

00000

Harry laid in his bed, unable to get to sleep. It had been days since his rescue and the burns on his side were long gone yet he still felt exhausted with the experience. He finally climbed onto his feet and headed into the washroom. Shrugging off his nightclothes, Harry decided to take a late shower. He allowed the warm water to beat down on him for several minutes, easing his tense muscles. Once he felt relaxed enough, he climbed out and began to dry himself off. He placed the towel on his face before lifting his head up enough to stare into the mirror. He eyed his reflection carefully, unsure what he should be seeing. Harry lifted up his hand and balled it up a few times.

_'Am I really where I belong now? Then why do I feel so out-of-place?'_ he thought.

He gave himself one last look in the mirror before throwing the towel away and began to head back out to his bed. He sat down at the foot of the bed as the thoughts and worries flew through his mind for the umpteenth time. It was several long minutes before the familiar chime of the door filled his ears. Harry climbed back underneath the covers and ran a hand through his hair.

"Come in," he called out.

He heard the door slide open and feet walk inside the room. He had known well in advance it was Tom, arriving to check up on him in one of his many daily visits. The pilot cautiously stepped inside and walked to his friend. Without asking, Tom sat down beside him.

"Listen Harry, um, everyone's been asking how you're doing. They're hoping you'll be cleared for work soon," Tom told him.

Harry shook his head. Tom patiently waited for a response of some sort. He had noticed Harry's lack of socialization after his rescue, even with him for they hadn't gone nearly as many times to the holodeck since his recovery began.

"Tom, you know I'm not cleared for duty yet. Probably won't be for a while at least. Doc's worried about both my mental and physical status. He can't foresee what problems are going to arise with this type of transformation," Harry finally told him.

"You're right and that's what scares me too. I'm just afraid that you're going to be hurt again," Tom told him.

Harry barely nodded as they both fell into silence. After a few awkward moments, Harry finally turned to his friend.

"I-I really do appreciate what you're doing Tom but I don't think there's much of anything you can really do to help now," Harry said in a quiet voice.

"You're probably right. There isn't much that I can think of at this very moment but I do know of one thing I can do," Tom prodded, gently placing his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"And what's that exactly?" Harry questioned.

"I can be a friend and listen whenever you need someone to talk to about anything at all. My door is always open, Harry, don't hesitate to call me," Tom said.

Carefully squeezing Harry's shoulder, Tom stood up and left his friend's quarters, leaving behind a solemn Harry. The ensign ran a hand through his hair again, wondering what kind of life lay before him.

The End

And the end is finally here! Hoped you enjoyed it! Thank to all who stayed with this!


End file.
